Pulitzer-winning cartoonist quits Washington Post after Bezos cartoon axed

The rejected cartoon featured Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, Sam Altman, and Patrick Soon-Shiong bowing to a statue of President-elect Donald Trump

Ann Telnaes, a Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist for The Washington Post, announced her resignation on Friday evening after the newspaper’s opinions section rejected a cartoon featuring its owner, Jeff Bezos, bowing to a statue of President-elect Donald J Trump.

 

Telnaes, who has been with The Post since 2008, shared her decision in a statement on Substack, an online platform for writers and journalists. She expressed disappointment that her cartoon was rejected not for editorial clarity, but for its critical viewpoint.

 

"This marks the first time a cartoon of mine was rejected because of its subject matter," Telnaes wrote. "The piece critiqued billionaire tech and media executives, including Bezos, for seeking favour with the incoming president, a commentary on their potential influence over government contracts and regulations."

 

Cartoon includes Zuckerberg, Altman, Soon-Shiong

The cartoon also featured other prominent figures such as Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook and Meta, Sam Altman, CEO of an AI company, Patrick Soon-Shiong, publisher of the Los Angeles Times, and representatives from The Walt Disney Company and ABC News. Telnaes highlighted the growing concern over media and tech moguls aligning with political powers for personal gain. 

Draft of the cartoon that was allegedly rejected by The Washington Post. | Illustration by Ann Telnaes on Substack

 

'Suppressing press freedom'

In her statement, Telnaes highlighted the vital role of editorial cartoonists in fostering civic debate and holding powerful entities accountable. She criticised the decision to suppress her cartoon as a dangerous precedent for press freedom.

 

"As an editorial cartoonist, my role is to challenge the powerful," she stated. "Preventing me from fulfilling that responsibility undermines the very principles of a free press, especially in a democracy."

 

Telnaes also referenced her experience on the Advisory Board for the Geneva-based Freedom Cartoonists Foundation and as a former board member of Cartoonists Rights. She stressed the importance of safeguarding editorial independence, even in the face of corporate or political pressures.

 

Substack, founded in 2017, serves as a platform for writers to publish directly to subscribers, build audiences, and monetise their content. Telnaes plans to continue her work through such platforms.

 

Her resignation brings attention to the ongoing debate over editorial independence in major media organisations, particularly those owned by influential figures. Telnaes’s parting message echoed the motto of The Washington Post: "Democracy dies in darkness."

 

"I doubt my decision will cause much of a stir and that it will be dismissed because I’m just a cartoonist. But I will not stop holding truth to power through my cartooning, because as they say, 'Democracy dies in darkness'," she concluded.

 

Who is Ann Telnaes

Ann Telnaes received her Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning in 2001. Her cartoons have appeared in notable publications including Los Angeles Times, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Newsday, The New York Times, The Baltimore Sun and USA Today, along with The Washington Post.

 

Telnaes, born in Sweden, graduated from California Institute of the Arts with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. She worked as an animator and layout designer for various animation studios, including Warner Bros and Walt Disney Imagineering.