de Adder and WaPo Part Ways? – update
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It has been nearly a month since Michael de Adder‘s last weekly cartoon for The Washington Post.
Three years ago Michael, after freelancing for the paper, was signed as a contract cartoonist to The Washington Post and charged with supplying three cartoons a week.
Over the years that was dropped to two cartoons a week. Then last Fall MIchael announced he had been reduced to once a week. From Michael’s November 8, 2023 X/Twitter message:
I was the main editorial cartoonist at the Washington Post under Fred Hiatt. But the new management came in and demoted me to one cartoon. They promoted Michael Ramirez to the main spot. New management didn’t like my viewpoint. It happens in this business everyday. So I draw one for them on Wednesdays. And I’m happy to do it.
That “new management” thing was a regular occurrence with The WaPo during 2023. From Deadline:
[William] Lewis, who served as the CEO of Dow Jones and publisher of The Wall Street Journal from 2014 to 2020, will start in his role on Jan. 2 [2024]. He will succeed Patty Stonesifer, who has served as interim CEO in June [2023] after Fred Ryan announced his exit.
Now Mike Rhode at Comics DC has noticed that De Adder has been a no show at The WaPo for three weeks:
Michael de Adder appears to no longer be under contract with The Washington Post. He’s not listed as one of their three cartoonists on their Editorial Cartoon page, although Ann Telnaes, Edith Pritchett, and Michael Ramirez are. de Adder’s contributor page now reads “Michael de Adder was a political cartoonist for The Washington Post.” [emphasis added] and his last cartoon was January 16th.
Mike Rhode has reached out to Michael de Adder for more information and will report if any response comes.
Michael continues as a freelancer for the Halifax Chronicle Herald, the Toronto Star, and the Ottawa Hill Times.
February 9 update:
Michael mentioned his Washington Post situation on X/Twitter last night.
Don’t have much to say. I took the job because I was supposed to be the main cartoonist. Now I find myself without a job. And that’s all I have to say. I’d like to get a job at another newspaper. Ha like it’s easy. But I have a plan I want to try first. Something different. Coming soon I guess.
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