Comments on: Ted Rall: Why Political Cartoons Matter

By: Mike Lester

Mike Lester — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 21:37:44 +0000

If the Russians are afraid of them…

By: Monty Rohde

Monty Rohde — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 00:12:22 +0000

I doubt you’ll see this comment Mr. Rall but I’ll put it out here anyways. There are plenty of good points in your argument the problem is outside of the cartoonists and the fans on this blog the don’t seem to matter.

How DO you turn these arguments into something that can persuade the editors and the owners that staff cartoonists do have value? This is what MUST be done. Those are the people that need to be convinced. So far it doesn’t seem like their buying it.

By: Wiley Miller

Wiley Miller — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 21:43:31 +0000

And, Ted, you know me well enough to know that I agree with you on what newspapers SHOULD do. What I’m saying is what they HAVE BEEN doing for over 20 years now, which is why no one will get this or any other staff job in the country, regardless of the size of the paper. I continue to mourn the loss of staff cartoonists and how editors can’t see that it’s as valuable a position as the staff columnist. They are equally justified financially, but editors and publishers simply don’t understand that simple business decision because it can’t be easily quantified by the accounting department. Again, it’s the bottom line that’s calling shots, but we don’t have newspapermen running newspapers anymore. They’re people who came out of business school, not journalism school, and haven’t a clue what actually produces that bottom line.

Don’t worry, Alan. No one will be asked to fill those shoes. But someone should.

By: Alan Gardner

Alan Gardner — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 21:21:37 +0000

If the Cincinnati Enquirer doesnâ€™t replace Borgman, theyâ€™ll be making a poor business decision. Thatâ€™s a no-brainer.

I pity the cartoonist who has to come in and fill those shoes.

By: Ted Rall

Ted Rall — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 21:14:06 +0000

Ah, but Wiley, as I know you well know, no number of Pulitzer-winning national issue cartoons can substitute for a staff cartoonist who provides local and state-issue cartoons. The one thing that newspapers still do better than anyone else is local journalism and commentary.

Local is their brand, and papers that embrace local are and will thrive. An editorial cartoonist can deliver that level of engagement that brings in readers, as well as become a star attraction that prompts people who might not otherwise be interested in doing so to buy a paper.

If the Cincinnati Enquirer doesn’t replace Borgman, they’ll be making a poor business decision. That’s a no-brainer.

By: Wiley Miller

Wiley Miller — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 15:09:15 +0000

“It will be interesting to see if they replace him or just breathe a sigh of relief over the $ theyâ€™ve saved.”

Highly doubtful they’ll hire a new cartoonist. Newspapers today just look at the bottom line and realize that they can run the work of the past 10 Pulitzer prize winners through syndication for a fraction… a very small fraction… of hiring a staffer. This is the core problem of job loss in staff positions for cartoonists. If any of us were editors or publishers, we’d have to make the same decision. It’s a financial no-brainer.

By: Mike Peterson

Mike Peterson — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 08:46:38 +0000

Precisely. First of all, there are ways of structuring a buyout offer to avoid losing key people you want to retain. Then, when someone accepts a buyout, there is also the chance to sit down with them and make a counteroffer. “We hope you’ll still freelance for us” is not a counteroffer — it’s the business world equivalent of “I hope we can still be friends.”

Not to get off track — there are any number of other examples where the line is more clearcut, of course.

By: anne hambrock

anne hambrock — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 23:20:37 +0000

They may not have wanted him to leave but they WERE looking to drastically reduce their staff and reportedly did so by at least 6%. When they cast their net out for voluntary buyouts they probably never dreamed Jim would be one of the folks taking them up on it. It will be interesting to see if they replace him or just breathe a sigh of relief over the $ they’ve saved.

By: Alan Gardner

Alan Gardner — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 20:15:12 +0000

but when you see the Cincinnati paper cutting Jim Borgman loose, you have to question the brains of the boys in the big offices.

Just to make sure the record is straight, the Enquirer did not cut Jim. He voluntarily left the paper. He was very much apart of their community identity and they didn’t want him to leave.

By: Mike Peterson

Mike Peterson — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 10:51:46 +0000

Newspapers have been using syndicated material since the 19th century. Whether the syndicates charge enough for what they offer is a separate issue from whether editors have the brains to know the value of cartoons or to tell a good piece of work from a bad one.

I think local cartoons are of tremendous value. I remember when Chuck Asay was drawing for the Colorado Springs Sun. I didn’t (and still don’t) like his national/international political views but loved his weekly roundup of local events — a collection of little gags and commentary, sometimes in multiple panels, sometimes all in one. Chuck also provided comic illustrations for light features, and did some of the headers for standing features. His style and presence were absolutely identified with the Sun; he was the essence of a franchise player just as columnist Kup was in Chicago. Heck, he even staffed the booth at various public events and did free caricatures for people.

Now, I’m not suggesting that every cartoonist should do all that, but when you see the Cincinnati paper cutting Jim Borgman loose, you have to question the brains of the boys in the big offices. If they really think buying gag-a-day syndicate cartoons saves them money, they don’t understand that money is also supposed to come in, not just go out.

Which I suspect, based only on a decade of freelancing to newspapers and a quarter century of working in the newsroom, they do not.

Syndicated cartoons should be what you run between good local panels. They are the TV dinners of the editorial page.