Category: FREEDOM OF SPEECH

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Cartoons in the press

What EXACTLY is a press cartoon  ?

The term “cartoon” refers to an illustration or a series/sequence of drawings.  It is a funny illustration of the news and it is supposed to be thought-provoking. All the great newspapers in the world publish cartoons (except for the New York Times, who decided not to  publish them anymore in 2019).

Modern cartoons developed at the same time as newspapers, in the 18th century. Before photography, they were the only way to illustrate articles. Cartoonists were illustrators back then. When newspapers started to use photos, illustrators played a different role. They expressed opinions, doling with the news, politics, culture and world matters.

Cartoons are  intended for satire, caricature, or humour.

They expose, ridicule or criticise a situation or a person. They sometimes use metaphor.

Most press cartoons consist in one box only. There are 3 types of cartoons :

  • those without text
  • those with text
  • caricatures, where it is easy to recognise people, as their features are exaggerated.

An illustration is a drawing that only consists in showing  a piece of news. No opinion is expressed, and there is no humour. A good example is courtroom illustration, as many countries (France is one of them) do not allow the use of photos or films in a trial.

Courtroom illustrations here

Political cartoons express an opinion. Almost all press cartoons express an opinion. The artists aim at triggering thought in their readers, and they are often activists, as they fight for a cause.

FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION, by Fabio Magnasciutti, Italy

ENVIRONMENT, by Payam, Iran

 

WOMEN’S RIGHTS by Elena, Columbia

LIVING TOGETHER, by Glez, Burkina Faso

NEW TECHNOLOGIES, by Côté, Canada

NORTH SOUTH UNEQUALITY, by Plantu, France

Check out the Cartooning for Peace website here

HOW TO…. do a presentation about a press cartoon :

1 – Give the author’s name and nationality, the date the cartoon was published, and its title.

2 -Describe the drawing

3 -Explain the different elements (use context, symbols)

4 – What is the artist’s message/intention ?

5- Is the picture efficient ? Did it have any consequences ? Does it correspond to an NGO / a political movement/ activism ?

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After Dr King, a New Yorker cover, by Kadir Nelson

Look at the whole cover here

This is the January 16 2017 issue of the New-Yorker.

The picture is about Martin Luther King Junior,  it’s entitled After Dr. King and it was created by Kadir Nelson, who specialises in portraits of African-American people.

The background is white, we can see a colour portrait of M.L.K. The focus is on his face and his hands. He looks  wise with his joined hands.Instead of the material of his jacket and the skin of his hands,there are people demonstrating and protesting, and we can see recognize the March on Washington, that he organised with other Civil Rights leaders, in August 1963. This is the place where he delivered his most famous speech : I Have A Dream.

MLK ‘s biography 

There is also a photo of the Flint Water crisis : a town where the majority of inhabitants were poor black people, and where the water was polluted. This crisis happened in 2017.

The relationship with the news is the problem of  social justice in America, about 50 years after the Civil Rights movement, and MLK’s legacy.

The date of publication is important, because it was close to Martin Luther King’s day, a national day when people across the USA pay tribute to Martin Luther King.

Conclusion : the question is what has changed in the USA for Black pool since the era of the Civil Rights movement ?

Look at a presentation here

Key words : 
Baptist preacher, activist, the Civil Rights movement, non-violence, Nobel Peace Prize

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