Why does editorial cartoon cause layoff?
Last week, Ed Hall, who has spent the last twenty years building a reputation as an editorial cartoonist with bite, was “temporarily suspended” due to a controversy over a cartoon that appeared in The St. Augustine Record. In a comment posted to the freelance artist’s personal blog, Hall said “I found out first hand this week that the last thing you want to do in a jittery economy is rock the boat with a controversial cartoon.” As editor for Historic City News, I read a lot of articles and editorials from other publications. I have to tell you, the chilling effect of this hullabaloo – stemming from a political cartoon – has definitely piqued my interest. Dr. Joe Joyner, the superintendent of schools, reportedly said that Hall’s cartoon portrays an “untrue picture of our district.” Hall replied, “What I suspect is that I’ve actually hit a nerve with this cartoon; which is usually the case when one causes such a stir.” In a “guest column” that appeared in today’s Record, St. Johns Cultur
