Cartoonist Ann Telnaes has left her 16-year tenure at The Washington Post after her latest illustration featuring president-elect Donald Trump was rejected by the editorial staff. The Pulitzer-Prize winning cartoonist took to Substack on Friday, announcing her departure and expressing her disappointment with the paper’s decision.
Telnaes’ illustration targeted billionaire tech executives who have been courting Trump, including Mark Zuckerberg, Sam Altman, Patrick Soon-Shiong, Walt Disney Company CEO, and Jeff Bezos. She claimed that this was not a unique instance of editorial criticism, but rather the first time she had her work rejected for its commentary on politics.
Telnaes expressed concern that The Washington Post’s decision to refrain from endorsing a presidential candidate in the 2024 election may have been driven by a desire to curry favor with Trump. This move led to over 200,000 readers canceling their digital subscriptions and has resulted in significant staff departures, including managing editor Matea Gold.
The paper’s owner, Jeff Bezos, defended his decision, citing concerns about bias and the appearance of conflict of interest. However, critics argue that this approach undermines the credibility of The Washington Post. Telnaes’ departure highlights the tensions between editorial independence and commercial interests, and her experience serves as a warning for other journalists and cartoonists.
The move is the latest in a series of high-profile departures from The Washington Post, which has lost over 250,000 subscribers since Bezos took over. Telnaes’ resignation underscores the challenges faced by the paper in maintaining its editorial integrity in the face of commercial pressures.
Source: https://deadline.com/2025/01/washington-post-editorial-cartoonist-ann-telnaes-quit-donald-trump-sketch-1236246363