New York Times’s Global Edition Is Ending Daily Political Cartoons

I have been reading the newspaper for more than 20 years and the cartoons from Chappatte has for me been the highlight in my reading experience for so many years. No other international newspaper had cartoons so it was also a special treat for the readers of the International Herald Tribune/International New York Times and finally the New York Times. Why stop with a feature so highly appreciated by readers from around the world?

This is a very sad and disappointing decision. Words, pictures, videos, drawings, or other graphical displays are just means of communicating ideas and of confronting the reality with the process of the human mind. While I can understand that some editorial works must be performed and that content must be thoughtfully curated but not censored, targetting a mean of expression is definitely not part of such process. I wish to see cartoons back very soon!

Please don't do this! In fact, you should be adding back the political cartoon to the domestic edition!

This is bizarre and cowardly. If you make a mistake, own up to it and move on. You don't run and hide. Own up to it and do better. In other words, be a Mensch. Otherwise, there will be no end to self-censorship. What does risk-free journalism look like?

Political cartoons are timeless and universal, they conjure ideas, politics and humanity all at one, gwhile making their point with a line. They stand up to the mighty with a youthful smirk, comment on complex situations with elegance and brevity, and help us understand the world better than a 10 Pages Essay. Why would you give up on them? Might as well give up on journalism. Have you? #bringbackthecartoons

You made one error by publishing the syndicated cartoon, now you’re compounding it by making an even bigger mistake and undermining the very freedom of the press you profess to uphold.

This is beyond disappointing.

Sorry to hear about this decision.

History will remember it. What a mistake

So disappointed in the NYTimes! I expected more guts and integrity from a paper I have read for more than fifty years and held up as the highest standards in journalism.

It's a shame how this prestigious newspaper is taking such an erroneous decision, forgeting the principles of a free press! From an european point of view, cartoonists must have all the freedom to exercise their jobs, even in a sarcastic and provocative way. When the Mohammed cartoon appeared in Denmark, raising islamic outrage, how did NYT reacted? Did they say it should've been banned? Just curious... Take a good look at the cartoons that are published daily by the english newspaper THE GUARDIAN, and you'll understand what we are loosing with this unbelievable decision from the NYT. By the way, the name of the author of the controversial cartoon that triggered all this is ANTÓNIO, and you still can find his art in quality newspapers around the world.

As a young reader of the NYTimes, I am very saddened and scared by the decision. In a time where more and more journalists, cartoonists are being dismissed, jailed, in a time where the freedom of the press is attacked from every side, this decision must be reconsidered. You are giving the wrong signal to the wrong people.

... Then they came for the Cartoonists and I did speak out — Because I was not a Cartoonist. Then they came for me — and there was no one left to speak for me. Inspired by Martin Niemöller (1892–1984).

I fully support Jack Ohman's comments too. Really disappointed of this decision.

Shame on you. What a bad decision. Not sure you will have a lot of support after this wrong move.... I m sad and i will never ever read NYT.

I fully support Jack Ohman’s comments “To The Editor: The rather curious decision by The New York Times to ban all editorial cartoons based on their own lack of editorial judgment seems, well, cartoonish. As the recipient of the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning, one would think that the Times would be a vital force in protecting this lovely art form. Instead it's destroying editorial cartooning itself. This is a cartoon I don't get. And no, I am not canceling long-held my print and digital subscription to the Times, either. I think they are as critical to journalism as editorial cartooning is. I wish the Times felt the same way. Jack Ohman Editorial Cartoonist The Sacramento Bee 2016 Pulitzer Prize winner for Editorial Cartooning Former President, Association of American Editorial Cartoonists”

Do not give up there should be a solution to continue publishing political cartoons in the New York Times, try to find a way to go on with Chapatte & Co.

I guess it was just a business decision to get rid of the cartoons in the global edition. Why does the New York Times hide behind a bad cartoon? That cartoon lacks quality and without this decision not even the usual conspiracy theorists would have remembered it. Just be honest, the NYT wanted knock some cartoonists off the payroll and was looking for some excuse ...

Shame! I stop NOW more than 40 years reading your paper!

We counted on you, NYT. We trusted you ! I’m so disappointed right now...

The cartoons in question have not been very good, anemic, no real punch line (like most cartoons published in the Economist). The targets are cartoonish enough without being depicted in cartoons. Thus, let’s continue enjoying our fabulous investigative NYT without cartoons.

Well, that's another victory for Trump and his ilk who want to squelch freedom of the press. The U.S. already ranks #48 (down three points from 2018) out of 180 countries in the 2019 World Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders (RSF). According to RSF, "this year’s Index and the media climate - in the U.S. - is now classified as “problematic.” The New York Times has always been considered the newspaper of record and a beacon of factual, independent journalism. Now it can be recorded that it is partly responsible for contributing to lowering the freedom of the press bar even more. Soon the New York Times' motto will be "Not All The News is Fit to Print."

A shocking decision from an unexpected corner, contributing to the demise of editorial cartooning and newsprint in general.

So disappointed, so sad. The NYT was a beacon of free speech, a newspaper of which I thought it was an example for all press around the globe suffering from (self)censorship. Scary times.

This is just an awful decision. Political cartooning is one of the most powerful forms of satire. I can’t believe this decision was made. I just can’t believe it. And I don’t think I’ll be able to continue my subscription.

I've been reading the NYT since 1979. I woke up to this decision and was dismayed. So Hebdo doesn't matter, the courage of the Danish editor counts for less just because Bibi was offended. We need levity to ease this era's tragedies and the madness in DC. As a former chief justice of the Supreme Court put it: he read the newspaper back to front--for heroism in Sports, a dose of reality-based wisdom from Cartoons, before despairing at the human tragedies, foibles and carnage on the Front pages. Chappatte must stay!

I agree with the other commenters that this is a big mistake on the part of the New York Times. Another disappointment with my paper of choice. What I also find very interesting is that this article appeared (at least on the website) in the Business Section and not the Editorial Page or even in the News section. Wonder why THAT decision was made, too.

For shame, NYT. Political cartoons are dangerous because they do exactly what they are supposed to do as a journalistic tool: Hold the mighty up to examination via informed and incisive humor. They do in a single image what can take thousands of words to do. Please reconsider this very cowardly and poor decision to end an important form of commentary.

So. That's two errors in judgement. But the second one is bigger. Perhaps you should re-read Mr. Chapatte's essay. I am deeply dismayed by your self-censorship. I thought the Times was better than this. Prove me right.

Cartooning is one of America's oldest traditions of political commentary, in my humble opinion, I believe your decision to just stop it all together because of a mistake (which the Times has emphatically denounced and apologized for), is the cowardly way out. Instead, why not put in place a system so a piece like that is blocked before it ever sees the light of day. This type of self censorship is a win for the type of anti-democratic and anti-Semitic movements which are resurfacing all over the world. These are dangerous times for journalism and the truth, and I believe your paper is falling into a trap of your own making.