Editorial cartooning Events newspapers Speaking Engagements

Ann Telnaes: Press Freedom Talk

Skip to comments

D. D. Degg Updated: April 15, 2025 at 5:53 pm EDT 1 minute 0 comments

‘I believe that editorial cartoonists are vital for civic debate and have an essential role in journalism’

Political cartoonist Ann Telnaes was the featured speaker at the annual Press Freedom Lecture in The Hague on April 14. The Press Freedom Lecture is an initiative of the Press Freedom Day Committee.

(In a bit of irony googling “Ann Telnaes Press Freedom” brings up The Washington Post page featuring Ann’s Press Freedom cartoon from last year as the number one result.)

The Dutch Association of Journalists (NVJ) presents a transcript of Telnaes’ speech, below is a Google Translation of the organization’s introduction (which was in Dutch) to Ann’s address to the assembly.

On April 14, cartoonist Anne Telnaes gave the annual press freedom lecture. Ann Telnaes makes editorial cartoons and has won the Pulitzer Prize and the Herblock Prize, among others.

She worked for The Washington Post for over 16 years and recently resigned after a cartoon she had submitted was rejected because it criticized Jeff Bezos, the owner of this newspaper, among others.

The lecture is in English and can be read in full below.

If and when Ann’s interview with Marieke de Vries becomes public we will link to it.