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Lists of newspapers who pulled Doonesbury this week

Alan Gardner776 mins

The following papers have announced (or are mentioned in news articles as having announced) that they have pulled this week’s Doonesbury regarding Texas law requiring women to have an ultrasound prior to having an abortion.

Papers who are pulling the series:

  1. The Missoulian
  2. The Standard-Examiner (Utah)
  3. The Herald, (SC)
  4. The Press of Atlantic City ( NJ)
  5. St. Paul Pioneer Press (MN)
  6. Star Tribune (MN)
  7. Fort Worth Star-Telegram (TX)
  8. Greensboro News & Record
  9. Winston-Salem Journal (Paper has now decided to run it on Saturday with a column written by their managing editor)
  10. Banner-Herald (GA)
  11. Oregonian (OR)
  12. Providence Journal, RI
  13. The Gainesville Sun (FL)
  14. Ocala Star-Banner (FL)
  15. Arizona Daily Star (AZ)
  16. Pocono Record (PA)
  17. Democrat and Chronicle (NY)
  18. Daytona Beach News-Journal (FL)
  19. Oregon Register Guard (OR)
  20. Omaha World-Herald
  21. The Reporter (CA)
  22. The Birmingham News
  23. Utica Observer-Dispatch
  24. The Elmira Star-Gazette (NY)
  25. Press and Sun-Bulletin (NY)
  26. Tallahassee Democrat
  27. Abilene Reporter News (TX)
  28. San Diego Union Tribune
  29. Tampa Tribune
  30. Orlando Sentinel
  31. St. Louis Post-Dispatch
  32. Anniston Star (AL)
  33. Mobile Press-Register (AL)
  34. Findlay Courier (OH)
  35. The Reading Eagle (PA)
  36. Henderson Times-News (NC)
  37. Battle Creek Enquirer (MI)
  38. The Bucks County Courier Times (PA)
  39. Newsday (Long Island NY)
  40. Daily Local News (West Chester PA)
  41. Plattsburgh Press-Republican (NY)
  42. Goshen News (IN)
  43. Spokesman-Review (WA)
  44. Tribune-Democrat (PA)
  45. The Harrisburg Patriot News (PA)
  46. Citrus County Chronicle (FL)
  47. Arizona Republic
  48. Columbus Dispatch
  49. The Centre Daily Times (PA)
  50. Santa Maria Times (CA)
  51. The Journal News (NY)
  52. Home News Tribune (NJ)
  53. The Eagle (TX)
  54. The Clarion-Ledger
  55. The Lansing State Journal (MI)
  56. Ventura County Star
  57. The Springfield State Journal Register (IL)
  58. Athens Banner-Herald (GA)
  59. Asbury Park Press (NJ)
  60. The Topeka Capital Journal (KS)
  61. Lompoc Record (CA)
  62. Modesto Bee (CA)
  63. Tacoma News-Tribune (WA)
  64. The Huntington Herald-Dispatch (WV)
  65. The Norwich Bulletin (CT)
  66. The Cedar Rapids Gazette (IA)
  67. Bridgewater Courier-News (NJ)
  68. The Billings Gazette (MT)
  69. The Helena Independent Record (MT)

These papers are running the series but have opted to move the strip off of the comics page:

UPDATE: Some papers are opting something different:

If you know of a paper that has pulled the strip that is not listed above, leave me a note in the comments or email me.

77 thoughts on “Lists of newspapers who pulled Doonesbury this week”

  1. Nobody’s touching this one I see. I will: denying GT’s voice is censorship and should not be supported. Denying a child his/her voice is murder and should not be supported. See? When we all play by the same rules, everybody wins!

  2. Mentioned in the email but not on this page are the comments of Governor Perry’s spokeswoman (from an AP feed): “Asked for comment on the ‘Doonesbury’ series, Perry spokesman [sic] Catherine Frazier said the governor is proud of his leadership on the sonogram law.

    ‘The decision to end a life is not funny,’ Frazier said. ‘There is nothing comic about this tasteless interpretation of legislation we have passed in Texas to ensure that women have all the facts when making a life-ending decision.’

    Two things, Ms. Frazier: 1) Although they are called “comics”, they are not always meant to be “funny”. Sometimes they are meant to have a point. 2) You are as much as admitting that women are innately incapable of making their own decisions. Where is that good ol’ Republican sense of determinism, self-responsibility and keeping government out of people’s private lives?

  3. If health insurance companies provided coverage for contraceptives, she wouldn’t have the need for an abortion.
    Ah, she’s probably a slut anyway.

  6. In Central Florida, the Tampa Tribune and Orlando Sentinel have opted for the replacement strips. The Tampa Bay (ex-St. Petersburg) Times is running the abortion strips in the regular comics page.

  7. Awesome. By not running the strip, and directing readers to search for it online, newspapers prove their irrelevance.

  8. Trudeau is inviting a pile of controversy with this sequence, given the passion that the topic stirs up. Like most people, I always wrestle with this subject, but when I hear abortion referred to as murder I have to wonder, is a woman who has one then guilty of being a murderer? Or is she just an accessory? And what should the punishment be?

  10. Alan,

    I did say the Tampa Bay Times IS running the abortion strips. The Tampa Tribune is NOT running them.

    Want to clear that up. The St. Pete Times’ name change can get confusing.

  12. Fetus is not baby nor child. Fetus is fetus. And it’s completely fine by any legal, moral or ethical standard to abort a fetus.

  14. Fetus, baby, toddler, child, teen, adult, senior…all individually human genetically. It was legal to exterminate a group of people in 1940’s Germany and enslave another in colonial United States. I agree it’s an editorial tooner’s job to take on tough issues and make us squirm…but humor in a holocaust?! Check out abort73.com. You’re right, fetus is fetus.

  15. The San Antonio Express News (TX) has moved Doonesbury from the Comics section to the Editorial section.

  17. The Bucks County Courier Times (PA) ran the replacement strip today (Monday March 12).

    However, their entire comic page from March 9th contains (presumably by accident) all of the strips intended to run on Friday the 16th – including the controversial Doonesbury strip.

    As evidence without a spoiler, look on Friday for “Shall I describe its hopes and dreams?”

  18. My local newspaper, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is among those running the strip. I gave their editorial board a “thumbs up” for not having the paper end up on this list.

    As for the topic at hand, Mike Lester totally misses the point: this week’s Doonesbury is less about abortion than it is about humiliating women who have already come to a difficult decision. In recent years we have seen more vicious attacks on women than ever previously attempted or imagined in recent memory. The new abortion laws aren’t about the sanctity of life or any other higher purpose: they are about keeping women subjugated to the will of men – keeping females second class citizens.

    Gary Trudeau is highlighting something bigger than abortion: he is shining a bright light on the fact that there are still forces whom believe that women should not be allowed dominion over their own bodies. It is, frankly, shocking that in the 21st century we still have small-minded men attempting to and – to varying degrees – succeeding in “keeping the little ladies in their place,” but here we are.

  19. Add the following papers as running the alternate Dooesnbury strips.

    Newsday (Long Island NY)
    Daily Local News (West Chester PA)
    Plattsburgh (NY) Press-Republican
    Goshen (IN) News
    Spokane (WA) Spokesman-Review
    Tribune-Democrat (Johnstown PA)

  21. …And it took only 16 comments for that predictable jab:) Nice try, but it’s not the woman’s body…totally a separate. unique human being. Liberate women by telling them it’s healthy to fill themselves with aborifacient chemicals on mandated taxpayer dollars? Let’s keep the truth from them that a “doctor” is killing because it’s BIG busniness. Only 18 comments for small-minded men to be evoked!

  24. Joe Engesser, I’m not the one who brought Germany up in the first place, now am I? Perhaps we can start quoting China’s One Baby Policy, or India’s preference for male children instead though since they’re … wow… happening now.

    Here’s an editorial in favor of publishing:

    On the Comics page, a difficult topic
    Doonesbury strip tackles abortion
    By Felice Belman Concord Monitor editor
    March 12, 2012
    http://www.concordmonitor.com/article/316633/on-the-comics-page-difficult-topic

  25. As for the strip, Doonesbury has been opinion/commentary for it’s entire run it’s not like newspapers have been blind sided. Either run it full time in the op-ed section, (which I think it should be), or run it on the comics page. The op-ed section would save them from having to cut it.

  26. The Rock Hill (NC) Herald is running alternate Doonesbury strips this week.

    The Charlotte Observer won’t run Thursday’s abortion strip but will carry the rest of the series.

  28. Glad the Chicago Tribune is keeping this week’s Doonesbury strips!

    Besides the Doonesbury abortion topic, did some recent Alley Oop strips have the bad “P” word in it?

  31. The Reading (PA) Eagle is also running the alternate strip. It normally appears on the editorial page.

  32. St. Louis Post-Dispatch is running alternates.

    http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/columns/editors-desk/doonesbury-strips-held-from-post-dispatch/article_1e4ef73a-6a3c-11e1-a7cc-0019bb30f31a.html

    And the Des Moines Register

    http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20120312/OPINION03/303120014/1024/CAMPAIGN08RIGHT/?odyssey=nav|head

    Editor of Athens Banner-Herald (GA) may reconsider earlier decision to run alternates

    http://onlineathens.com/opinion/2012-03-12/editors-desk-another-think-coming

  33. Found some more newspapers running alternate Doonesbury strips this week.

    Anniston (AL) Star
    Lexington Herald-Leader (the paper will run the entire abortion series on Saturday in their Editorial page)

    The Miami Herald will print all but one of the abortion strips but they didn’t say which day. I assume Thursday’s.

    http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/03/12/2689974/miami-herald-to-print-all-put.html

    Mobile (AL) Press-Register
    Findlay (OH) Courier

    The count of alternate papers is nearing 45. Wow!

  34. Add the St. Louis Post-Dispatch to the alternate list. Gotta say I’m kinda shocked about that one.

  35. Thanks for the link, Mike. Liberal courts have been litigating invasive procedures for decades to terminate little human beings. Rehashing stale rhetoric under the guise of cutting edge catooning is disappointing. This isn’t about reproductive freedom or women’s health, it’s about Planned Parenthood’s ruse to make more dough…”The rich getting richer.” The issue’s not resolved until personhood is recognized and protected by law for everyone. I would suggest all the pro abortion, single issue voters pay close attention to the Lorax’s and Horton’s message.

  36. The Portland (ME) Press-Herald is running the strip this week, but on their editorial pages.

    But thanks very much for playing.

  38. Those debating abortion have no idea what on earth the topic here is.

    Free Speech and Press mean that Trudeau can speak and write in favor of abortion or anything else he wants to be in favor or opposed to, within the reasonable bounds of libel and the very elastic bounds of child pornography and shouting fire in crowded theaters.

    As can Rush Limbaugh and, yes, Bill Maher.

    It does not require anyone to publish his work, any more than a radio or TV station is required to carry Rush Limbaugh or Bill Maher’s work.

    The relevant question is, “When a newspaper signs up a comic, are they agreeing to provide the cartoonist with a platform or are they purchasing the right to publish that feature if they choose? And are they making a secondary contract with their readers to carry the feature?”

    The first seems obvious. No newspaper is required by contract to carry a feature just because it has paid for it. The second is very interesting and I think has been best addressed by those who shift the strip to their editorial page, but not badly addressed by those who, having explained their decision, direct readers temporarily to the on-line site.

  41. The Aberdeen (SD) News is running the abortion strips through Wednesday. It is not determined if they will run the remainder of the strips.

    http://www.aberdeennews.com/news/aan-4a.03-13-12.ed.fromtheeditor-20120313,0,5755547.story

    The Centre Daily Times (in the home of scandal-plagued Penn State University) is running the alternate strips too.

    http://www.centredaily.com/2012/03/13/3123980/value-slips-without-doonesbury.html

    Santa Maria (CA) Times are running alternates.

    http://santamariatimes.com/news/opinion/editorial/cartoonist-forces-a-choice/article_7230e8d2-6cac-11e1-93e8-001871e3ce6c.html

    The Bennington (VT) Banner is running the abortion strips on the Editorial page instead of the comics page.

    http://www.benningtonbanner.com/opinion/ci_20159313/do-you-agree-disagree

  43. Home News Tribune out of New Brunswick NJ area has on A2 that they are not running the strip all week due to “poor taste.” Can’t find anything on their site though.

  45. Actually the Tennessean did publish Monday’s and Today’s abortion strips but that’s it they say.

    “The Tennessean will run the Monday and Tuesday panels in print. Readers will be able to see the remaining four panels online the rest of the week.”

  46. The Daily Record in Morris County NJ is running the alternate Doonesbury strips too.

  48. Some corrections:

    1. “46. The Rock Hill Herald (NC)”

    Apparently Rock Hill is in South Carolina and not North Carolina and I didn’t realize you had it listed back at #3. I apologize.

    2. “48. The Citrus County (FL)”

    It should be The Citrus County Chronicle (FL). I put (FL) before Chronicle. I apologize.

  50. BTW the Athens Banner-Herald (GA) which was rethinking their stance on “Doonesbury” will continue to run the alternate strips for the rest of the week.

    http://onlineathens.com/opinion/2012-03-13/editors-desk-doonesbury-rethought

    Per a letter to the editor, Asbury Park Press (NJ) is running the alternates.

    http://www.app.com/article/20120313/NJOPINION02/303130062/Newspaper-should-run-comic-strip-on-abortion

    The Topeka Capital Journal (KS) is running alternate Doonesbury.

    http://cjonline.com/news/2012-03-13/doonesbury-substitution

    We’re over 60 papers now!

  51. Some more.

    Lompoc Record (CA) is running alternate Doonesbury.

    http://www.lompocrecord.com/news/opinion/editorial/cartoonist-forces-us-to-choose/article_a326f702-6cab-11e1-b157-001871e3ce6c.html

    Modesto Bee (CA) is running alternate Doonesbury.

    Tacoma News-Tribune (WA) is also running the alternates.

    The Stuart News (FL) among other related Treasure Coast newspapers (Vero Beach Press-Journal, St. Lucie News Tribune and Jupiter Courier) are running the alternate strips too and they will publish the abortion series in their Editorial page on Monday.

  52. More updates:

    The Huntington Herald-Dispatch (WV) is running alternate Doonesbury.

    The Charleston Daily Mail (WV) is only running half of the abortion strips (Didn’t specify which days but I’ll assume Monday-Wednesday).

    http://sundaygazettemail.com/News/201203130224

    The Norwich Bulletin (CT) is also running alternates.

    http://www.norwichbulletin.com/Opinion/x299878676/Jim-Konrad-Topic-of-rape-has-no-place-in-comic-strip#axzz1p3qVPP4m

    The Allentown Morning Call (PA) moved the abortion strips from the comics page to the “Town Square” pages (guessing that means Editorial).

    http://www.mcall.com/opinion/mc-doonesbury-abortion-comics-20120313,0,1153337.story

  53. New updates:

    The Des Moines Register will print the abortion series in their Sunday Editorial section.

    http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20120314/OPINION03/303140036/-1/blogs/Regarding-Doonesbury-note-our-readers

    The Cedar Rapids Gazette (IA) is running the alternate strips as this letter to the Editor indicates.

    http://thegazette.com/2012/03/14/not-running-doonesbury-strip-is-a-cop-out/

    Another letter to the Editor says the Bridgewater Courier-News (NJ) is running the alternate strips.

    http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20120314/NJOPINION0201/303140005/Controversial-comics-should-been-published?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Opinion|s

    The Billings Gazette (MT) is running alternates as well (read below).

    http://billingsgazette.com/news/opinion/editorial/gazette-opinion/gazette-opinion-historic-claims-pay-off-after-years/article_b8c673af-8886-52bc-9b3f-6a8d83ad0a10.html

    And we’re in the 70s now.

  54. Mike Rhode,

    Are you sure about the Ventura County Star? Here’s what I read:

    “After careful consideration, The Star has decided to publish this week’s installments of “Doonesbury” as scheduled. The viewpoints expressed in the comic strip, like the other editorial cartoons and columns in The Star, do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the newspaper, but rather are part of a broad discussion of weighty issues.”

    Looks to me like the Ventura County Star IS running the abortion storyline. They normally run Doonesbury on the Editorial page.

  56. BTW you had the Athens Banner-Herald listed twice on #10 and #58. The link should be moved to #10.

  57. I also checked the Florida Today. They’re running the alternate Doonesbury strips too.

  63. The Tampa Bay Times pulled only Thursday’s strip from the paper but posted it on their website.

  64. The Texarkana Gazette is running an alternate Doonesbury on the editorial page.

  65. Russell,

    Out of curiosity is it just Today running an alternate strip or has it been all week?

  67. Also, the Connecticut Post is running alternate Doonesbury too.

    The Mankato Free Press (MN) is also running the alternates.

  68. OK, I looked at the Texarkana Gazette’s print editions. They are running the alternate strips all week.

  69. Updates again.

    The Norman Transcript (OK) apparently dropped only the Wednesday and Thursday strips of the abortion series. The strip is back in Today’s paper.

    http://normantranscript.com/extra/x2066631997/Doonesbury-s-back

    Three Pennsylvania newspapers (Doylestown Intelligencer, Bucks County Courier Times and Burlington County Times) are running alternate Doonesbury strips. You had the Bucks County paper listed but not the Doylestown and Burlington papers.

    http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/local/the_intelligencer_news/opinion/doonesbury-decision-the-cheap-way-out/article_802b174f-5f30-5c0f-8bf1-873a3df619e9.html

  71. If you are offended by the censorship of this satirization of the Texas law, download the 5-part strip from http://www.doonesbury.com/strip (easy to cut + paste) and send the series onto all your contacts. One small way to counteract the censorship.

  72. The Riverside Press Enterprise (Riverside, CA) is not running the current Doonesbury strip. That, of course, is their choice. It is not (contrary to what some have commented) censorship. Censorship is government suppression. Private parties are entitled to choose what they publish (within obscenity and inciting limits).

    That being said, what’s despicable about the Press Enterprise is that they’re not even telling anyone they aren’t running the current strip. Instead, they are running a series of older strips as if those are the current strip. I suppose the P.E. has the right to be deceitful as well as unilateral in it’s political coverage, but it is yet another reason I’m glad I stopped subscribing earlier this year after 32 years of increasingly dissatisfied loyalty.

  73. I appreciate just knowing the number of papers that pulled the strip for the week. Disappointed that our paper in San Diego is among the 4.9% that opted to pull it. The editor claimed that the cartoons in the daily paper are intended for children – seriously? Thus they chose not to runt he strip.

  74. I talked with someone at the Minneapolis StarTribune who told me that self-censoring (they didn’t use that word) the strip was a difficult decision, “not made lightly.” The comic’s page editor offered it to the editorial page editor who apparently didn’t run it for logistics and layout reasons. Ha! I have written for the StarTribune in the past but I see them as cowards, now.

    Across the River, the St. Paul Pioneer Press has made the same decision. I expected more from Minnesota newspapers.

  75. I have been a columnist for the Athens Banner-Herald newspaper for over 20 years. I am glad that the editor reconsidered his decision regarding the Doonesbury comic strips.

  76. Fresno Bee pulled Doonesbury the entire week because they deemed it “inappropriate” for their readers.

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