Newsday on Sunday said it “deeply” regretted running a Charlie Kirk-related cartoon that prompted local GOP pols to urge readers to cancel or boycott the newspaper.
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The Long Island, New York, newspaper became the latest outlet to take corrective action in a tense media environment after the murder of the right-wing activist.
“We deeply regret this mistake and sincerely apologize to the family of Charlie Kirk and to all. We made an error in judgment. The cartoon has been removed from our digital platforms,” the statement said.
Newsday apologizes for publishing a controversial Chip Bok cartoon depicting a blood-splattered chair linked to Turning Point USA, following the death of Charlie Kirk. The syndicated cartoon, by the Pulitzer finalist, sparked outrage and calls for a boycott, with local GOP officials criticizing the imagery as insensitive and trivializing. The newspaper removed the cartoon, stating the artist intended to suggest a "turning point," but acknowledging the imagery was inappropriate
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, a Donald Trump ally, wrote that the “unconscionable” work “trivialized” the death of Kirk. “Cancel Newsday!” he urged on X.
Rep. Nick LaLota (R-NY) added his voice to calls for the firing of the independent cartoonist whose Newsday-published work depicting the death of Charlie Kirk sparked outrage and a reader boycott
Suffolk County Republican Party Chairman Jesse Garcia had demanded a boycott of Newsday until it apologized to Kirk’s family, readers of Newsday “and to every American who still believes in freedom of speech.” But he accepted the newspaper’s mea culpa on Sunday.
The newspaper said the artist’s intent was to “suggest that Kirk’s assassination might be a turning point for healing our nation’s divide.”
However, “the imagery was inappropriate and should never have been published in Newsday.”
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Newsday’s statement followed a more measured response earlier: “Unfortunately, some readers found the imagery insensitive. Instead of generating debate, it inflamed emotions. We regret the upset it caused.”
It has been a tightrope walk for media in the aftermath of Kirk’s death, given his controversial views. Reporters and others who were critical of him or perceived to not properly mourn his passing have paid the price in job loss, suspension, ridicule from a network colleague and online abuse.
Source: Original Article