“As an editorial cartoonist, my job is to hold powerful people and institutions accountable. For the first time, my editor prevented me from doing that critical job.”
Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Ann Telnaes announced Friday on her Substack page that she is resigning from The Washington Post over censorship. The dispute arose from the paper's refusal to publish a cartoon critical of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who also owns The Washington Post.
In her Substack post titled “Why I’m Quitting the Washington Post,” Telnaes wrote, "I have had editorial feedback and productive conversations—and some differences—about cartoons I have submitted for publication, but in all that time I’ve never had a cartoon killed because of who or what I chose to aim my pen at. Until now."
Telnaes revealed a rough draft version of the cartoon which portrays Bezos alongside other business executives kneeling and offering bags of cash to President-elect Donald Trump, who is shown on a pedestal. A bowing Mickey Mouse is also included, representing Disney. Telnaes explained that the cartoon criticized billionaires attempting to “curry favor” with the incoming administration.
Telnaes argued that The Washington Post rejected the cartoon due to its political point. "To be clear, there have been instances where sketches have been rejected or revisions requested, but never because of the point of view inherent in the cartoon’s commentary. That’s a game changer… and dangerous for a free press,” she stated.
She added, "As an editorial cartoonist, my job is to hold powerful people and institutions accountable. For the first time, my editor prevented me from doing that critical job. So I have decided to leave the Post.”
In response, Washington Post Editorial Page Editor David Shipley defended his decision to reject the cartoon, denying it was politically motivated. Instead, Shipley cited concerns about redundancy.
"Not every editorial judgment is a reflection of a malign force. My decision was guided by the fact that we had just published a column on the same topic as the cartoon and had already scheduled another column — this one a satire — for publication. The only bias was against repetition,” he said.
While Bezos has not been a vocal Trump supporter, his recent actions during the election cycle have drawn criticism from some on the left. Bezos reportedly blocked The Washington Post’s endorsement of Kamala Harris, leading to over 200,000 subscription cancellations. He also pledged $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund and expressed optimism about Trump’s regulatory agenda, according to Fox News. These actions have fueled accusations that Bezos is aligning with Republicans despite a history of tension with the president-elect.
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