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Regardless of whether one agrees or disagrees with the point of view of an editorial writer or cartoonist, speaker or activist, freedom of speech is a cornerstone of American values and journalism.
We continue to see instances of free speech receiving violent reactions and public condemnation in other parts of the world - including the Danish cartoonist who has survived assassination attempts, and the Syrian cartoonist Ali Ferzat who suffered a beating and broken hands for his political cartoons. But what about reactions within the United States towards people like Florida preacher Terry Jones, and now University of Texas cartoonist Stephanie Eisner?
Stephanie Eisner was fired by her newspaper, The Daily Texan for creating what is now being decried as a racist cartoon. The paper had posted a disclaimer that the viewpoint of the cartoon was that of the artist, and they explicitly stated that they disagreed with her. No balls, no responsibility, or just an inexperienced and poorly led student editorial board.
Her cartoon:
Stephanie Eisner has been accused of being insensitive to the family of Trayvon Martin through the publication of her cartoon, but what about those who have quickly assessed her as a racist and attached her photograph to her cartoon to publish online, knowing that there is a climate of violence in circulation, thanks to the New Black Panther Party, and to Spike Lee and Rosanne Barr for their tweets.
The new breed of 'liberal' seems to have changed tactics from former generations of would-be peaceloving hippies. Many have embraced an aggressive attitude towards those who hold opposing views - quick to label and quick to attack - the very behaviors that they would seem to oppose, and certainly not in alignment with the peaceful teachings of Martin Luther King, Jr.. Yet the rabid so-called left hates the so-called religious right (and vice-versa) and while they would damn Tipper Gore for wanting to censor artistic expression, they will treat a cartoonist with the same vigilante justice they oppose.
This generation is itching for license to have a revolution like what took place in the late 60s, but it feels a lot more like blood lust and ego, and it's starting to read as the right to pitch a tantrum. This is what's ruining our public schools - the fear of liability and erosion of parameters, the masses chummed by the climate of reality shows, apocalyptic visions, zombies and porn, all driven by the angle of ensuring that our consumer market be enslaved by an addiction-level guaranty that the bottom line be upheld. Afterall, Atkins says 'Endulge!' Isn't that how we got fat in the first place? This is our culture, post-bubble burst economy, recycled content and no creative innovation or sincere expression, just target-marketing that snags us by the jugular.
Moreover, certainly sensationalism is the greatest objective of media because it drives ratings and viewership. Thank you very much, Stephanie Eisner, for pointing to the huge problem of yellow journalism. One might get so caught up in the battle between our polarized interests that we miss the big picture entirely and more importantly, that the bottom line is driving our desperate media and newspapers to aggressively push sensational stories, regardless of the angle. Remember the headline from CNN's coverage of the Virginia Tech shooting - 'Blood Bath'. Again, zombies, porn, explosions, apocalypse. - that's what sells, so pour some blood in the water to ensure a consumer frenzy.
One her cartoons, Stephanie's 'Sexy Susan B. Anthony' seems to suggest a strong feminist point of view, incongruent with what one might expect from a one-dimensional racist, as she has been characterized for making the controversial Trayvon cartoon.
One might argue that feminism has been splintered into two camps - those who view the sexualization of women as a threat to women and those who demand that women have the right to express their sexuality publicly without fear, as promoted by The Slut Walk, one of the many populist protest movements that have come into vogue by the would-be revolutionaries.
Does Stephanie's point of view on feminism not hold up to the Slut Walk crowd? I don't know whether she is commenting on an actual costume or whether this was her original idea / satire - an actual costume would be hilarious, so I'm not sure if I appreciate her point of view or not - regardless, I appreciate the sentiment and her right to express it - (and the newspaper's responsibility for editing and taking ownership).
http://www.dailytexanonline.com/blog/matter-opinion/2011/10/31/sexy-susan-b-anthony
http://www.dailytexanonline.com/author/stephanie-eisner
Petition Posted to Resinstate Stephanie Eisner to the Daily Texan:
http://www.change.org/petitions/daily-texan-newspaper-reinstate-stephanie-eisner
From the Petition:
Ms. Eisner drew a cartoon related to the Travyon Martin shooting incident in Florida, and this cartoon was published in The Daily Texan on March 27. Her cartoon lamented the national media framing the narrative of the shooting in simplistic and racialist terms.
Unfortunately, a minority within the campus community perceived racism within the cartoon itself and in the resultant controversy pressured the editorial staff to fire Eisner. Disappointingly, the editorial board complied to this vitriolic and narrow-minded minority and it removed Ms. Eisner from its staff.
The decision is an insult to journalistic independence, our national values of free speech and a free press, and the right to dissent from popular or prevailing viewpoints. Regardless of one's views of the cartoon itself, we find it alarming that Ms. Eisner would be shunned and silenced for expressing her views.
These values are not compatible with the liberal democratic values of our society. Ms. Eisner should be applauded for her courage and integrity, and we call upon the editorial board to reinstate her to her position as cartoonist.
We do not discount the stresses and tribulations that journalists face in defending their viewpoints to hostile readership.
Kurt Westergaard, the Danish author of the controversial Prophet Muhammad cartoons, has faced repeated attempts on his life for cartoons far more incendiary and offensive than anything Ms. Eisner has ever drawn. Yet his newspaper responded by republishing his cartoons --- an act of defiance that spoke volumes of a free society that did not hesitate to defend its values in the face of opprobrium or even violence.
We call on The Daily Texan to affirm its commitment to liberal democratic values and recognition of journalistic courage. We call on The Daily Texan to reinstate Ms. Eisner.
Post By Michael Murphy, head editorial cartoonist for The Daily Texan:
http://www.examiner.com/political-cartoonist-in-austin/please-help-us-find-the-daily-texan-s-backbone
MISSING: The Daily Texan's Backbone
LAST SCENE: March 27, 2012
If you have any information on the whereabouts of the missing Backbone please notify authorities right away. It was last seen on Tuesday morning shortly after the publication of Stephanie Eisner's cartoon portraying the media as bias in their reporting on the Trayvon Martin murder.
Immediately after the publication of this cartoon the Daily Texan backbone disappeared. There are rumors that it is living in a sewage drain near the University of Texas campus; others claim to have seen it catching a flight to Canada.
Without its backbone the Daily Texan has made the choice to fire Stephanie Eisner for her flashpoint cartoon in spite of the fact that the cartoon was vetted by at least 6 senior Daily Texan Editors.
Is the media bias in their reporting on Trayvon Martin? Yes. If you simply listened to most mainstream coverage one might conclude that an All-American kid was hunted down and murdered by a vigilante neighborhood watchman.
The truth is that the investigation is very much still open. George Zimmerman shot and killed Trayvon Martin. That much we all know.
The media enjoys simplification of the truth. Rather than a possible self defense killing, most media outlets have embraced the idea of a hate crime killing. Their initial portrayal of Trayvon as a perfect kid slowly eroded as soon as news of his expulsion from school and use of marijuana became public.
This news wouldn’t have been incendiary had mainstream media not built Trayvon up to be so angelic in the first place. Being expelled and using marijuana don’t make Trayvon a bad person and they certainly don’t justify his murder.
They simply stand as gray areas of his life that the media couldn’t understand. That’s why they ignored them and most coverage continues to ignore the fact that this case is actually much more complex than initially thought.
When confronted with the media’s oversimplification of this OPEN case, The Daily Texan newspapers chose to return to the happy simple world of mainstream media rather than venturing out into the gray, complex, messy world of reality.
If you stumble upon the backbone of the Daily Texan don’t bother returning it. They clearly have no use for it.
SUMMARY: Spineless Editors = Brainless Media
Cartoon & Article by Michael Murphy (Daily Texan Cartoonist 2007-2010)
LAST SCENE: March 27, 2012
If you have any information on the whereabouts of the missing Backbone please notify authorities right away. It was last seen on Tuesday morning shortly after the publication of Stephanie Eisner's cartoon portraying the media as bias in their reporting on the Trayvon Martin murder.
Immediately after the publication of this cartoon the Daily Texan backbone disappeared. There are rumors that it is living in a sewage drain near the University of Texas campus; others claim to have seen it catching a flight to Canada.
Without its backbone the Daily Texan has made the choice to fire Stephanie Eisner for her flashpoint cartoon in spite of the fact that the cartoon was vetted by at least 6 senior Daily Texan Editors.
Is the media bias in their reporting on Trayvon Martin? Yes. If you simply listened to most mainstream coverage one might conclude that an All-American kid was hunted down and murdered by a vigilante neighborhood watchman.
The truth is that the investigation is very much still open. George Zimmerman shot and killed Trayvon Martin. That much we all know.
The media enjoys simplification of the truth. Rather than a possible self defense killing, most media outlets have embraced the idea of a hate crime killing. Their initial portrayal of Trayvon as a perfect kid slowly eroded as soon as news of his expulsion from school and use of marijuana became public.
This news wouldn’t have been incendiary had mainstream media not built Trayvon up to be so angelic in the first place. Being expelled and using marijuana don’t make Trayvon a bad person and they certainly don’t justify his murder.
They simply stand as gray areas of his life that the media couldn’t understand. That’s why they ignored them and most coverage continues to ignore the fact that this case is actually much more complex than initially thought.
When confronted with the media’s oversimplification of this OPEN case, The Daily Texan newspapers chose to return to the happy simple world of mainstream media rather than venturing out into the gray, complex, messy world of reality.
If you stumble upon the backbone of the Daily Texan don’t bother returning it. They clearly have no use for it.
SUMMARY: Spineless Editors = Brainless Media
Cartoon & Article by Michael Murphy (Daily Texan Cartoonist 2007-2010)
http://jimromenesko.com/2012/03/29/ex-daily-texan-cartoonist-responds-to-her-dismissal-in-an-email-id-appreciate-a-forward/
What does she have to say about the board’s action?
“She sent us an email explaining how she felt, and we’re just seeing that now,” Daily Texan associate editor Matt Daley told me at about 2:45 p.m. ET. (Editor-in-chief Viviana Aldous was unavailable to comment; she’s left town and won’t be back until Monday, says adviser Doug Warren.) Daley said he hadn’t finished reading the email — “it’s a little long” — and suggested I contact Eisner if I wanted to know what she said. (I have sent her an email.)
I asked Daley how Eisner’s cartoon was handled. “We reviewed it the way we normally review cartoons,” with the five editorial board looking it over. Did anyone question the Martin cartoon? Daley declined to say. || Meanwhile, there’s a petition effort to get Eisner reinstated.
