With regularity, editors at some papers choose not to run an episode of Garry Trudeau’s “Doonesbury” strip. The latest incident involved satirical commentary on state lawmakers requiring women to undergo invasive and medically unnecessary ultrasounds before abortions. A large number of papers did not run the episode, some ran a substitute “rerun” episode offered by Trudeau, and others shifted it to their editorial page.
The decision to nix the cartoon was explained as an attempt to shield audiences from offensive political content or from risqué language. But the papers have already had an earful from audience members who believe they can make decisions for themselves and do not need to be protected from a satirical political cartoon. To add your voice, see a list of papers that have censored the cartoon below – is your local paper among them?
Universal UClick Syndicate, which distributes the comic strip, has heard from 40-50 newspapers requesting substitute “Doonesbury” strips (though this number seems rather low given the list of newspapers censoring the comic)
The following list comes from the Daily Cartoonist blog, and we’ve added contact information and details that we could find.
LA Times
– ran cartoon, but in Op-Ed section “because of the subject matter this week”
– explanation of decision: http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-doonesbury-20120312,0,2388222.story
– author of above article can be reached at [email protected]
Houston Chronicle
– also ran cartoon in opinion section, and only online
The Miami Herald
– censored one section, the “rape” panel; all will be viewable on the paper’s website
– Executive editor Aminda Marques Gonzalez: “it goes beyond the evolving political notion of the comics pages.”
Dallas Morning News
– originally was not going to publish, but did, deciding it is “fair comment”
Oregonian
– “In next week’s strip, ‘Doonesbury’ author Garry Trudeau, in our judgment, went over the line of good taste and humor in penning a series on abortion using graphic language and images inappropriate for a comics page”
List of newspapers that the Daily Cartoonist was able to verify did not run the comic/moved it from the comics section:
Papers who are pulling the series:
Contact: [email protected]
The Standard-Examiner (Utah)
Contact: [email protected]
Contact: www.heraldonline.com
The Press of Atlantic City ( NJ)
Contact: [email protected]
Contact: [email protected]
Star Tribune (MN)
Contact: www.startribune.com
Fort Worth Star-Telegram (TX)
Contact: [email protected] (president/publisher)
Greensboro News & Record
Contact: www.newsrecord.com bottom right corner
Winston-Salem Journal (Paper has now decided to run it on Saturday with a column written by their managing editor)
Banner-Herald (GA)
Contact: www.onlineathens.com/contact
Oregonian (OR)
Contact: http://www.oregonlive.com/contactus/
Providence Journal , RI
Contact: [email protected]
The Gainesville Sun (FL)
Contact: http://www.gainesville.com/section/contactus
Ocala Star-Banner (FL)
Contact: http://www.ocala.com/section/contactus
Arizona Daily Star (AZ)
Contact: http://utilities.azstarnet.com/contact/department
Pocono Record (PA)
Contact: http://services.thepoconos.com/reader-services/submissions/letter-to-editor/
Daytona Beach News-Journal (FL)
Oregon Register Guard (OR)Omaha World-Herald
The Reporter (CA)
The Elmira Star-Gazette (NY)
Press and Sun-Bulletin (NY)
Tallahassee Democrat
Abilene Reporter News (TX)
San Diego Union Tribune
Tampa Tribune
Orlando Sentinel
Anniston Star (AL)
Mobile Press-Register (AL)
Findlay Courier (OH)
The Reading Eagle (PA)
Battle Creek Enquirer (MI)
The Bucks County Courier Times (PA)
Newsday (Long Island NY)
Daily Local News (West Chester PA)
Plattsburgh Press-Republican (NY)
Goshen News (IN)
Spokesman-Review (WA)
Tribune-Democrat (PA)
The Harrisburg Patriot News (PA)
Citrus County Chronicle (FL)
Arizona Republic
Columbus Dispatch
Santa Maria Times (CA)
The Journal News (NY)
Home News Tribune (NJ)
The Clarion-Ledger
The Lansing State Journal (MI)
Ventura County Star
The Springfield State Journal Register (IL)
Asbury Park Press (NJ)
The Topeka Capital Journal (KS)
Modesto Bee (CA)
Tacoma News-Tribune (WA)
The Huntington Herald-Dispatch (WV)
The Norwich Bulletin (CT)
Bridgewater Courier-News (NJ)
The Helena Independent Record (MT)
These papers are running the series but have opted to move the strip off of the comics page:
Houston Chronicle (TX)
The Kansas City Star (MO)
The Sacramento Bee
The Portland Press Herald (ME) (started running the series today on their editorial page)
The San Antonio Express News (TX)
The Buffalo News will run the entire abortion series in their Sunday Editorial section
The Allentown Morning Call (PA)
UPDATE : Some papers are opting something different:
The Lexington Herald-Leader will run the entire abortion series on Saturday in their Editorial page.
The Miami Herald will print all but one of the abortion strips
The Charlotte Observer is running the series, but dropping Thursday’s strip
The Tennessean (TN) published Monday and Tuesday. Won’t publish the remaining week
Winston-Salem Journal now tells me they’ll run the series on Saturday along with a column written by the managing editor
The Myrtle Beach Sun News (SC) will run all but Thursdays
The Stuart News (FL), Vero Beach Press-Journal, St. Lucie News Tribune and Jupiter Courier will run the entire series next Monday on their editorial page
The Charleston Daily Mail (WV) running only some of abortion strips
Des Moines Register has decided to run the series on Sunday
The Salt Lake Tribune (UT) is running all but Thursday’s strip, but editorial cartoonist Pat Bagley stuck it into his editorial cartoon on Thursday
*Source link: http://dailycartoonist.com/index.php/2012/03/12/lists-of-newspapers-who-pulled-doonesbury-this-week/