NY Times Censorship: Please Tell Them To Find a Spine

If the usual pattern prevails, the New York Times website can rest assured that their cowardly and lazy decision to drop my cartoons as the result of a concerted right-wing blogger email campaign will go unpunished. People will move on, other issues will rise to the surface, my readers will learn to find my cartoons here on my website or at The Washington Post.

The Times has the right to cancel cartoons or columns for taste reasons, even for politics. But they admit that they’re responding directly to specific complaints of right-wing readers (probably non-readers, but whatever). Kowtowing to a special interest group sets a dangerous precedent. The only way they’ll reverse course is if you let them know. Please keep the pressure on by emailing the following addresses:

Martin Nisenholtz, CEO of New York Times Digital

New York Times Letters to the Editor

Ombudsman Daniel Okrent

A reminder: I don’t stand to earn a penny if the Times runs my cartoons again. They weren’t paying me for them anyway. And I have never complained about being dropped before. This is solely about freedom of expression, and the Times’ unique intersection of cowardice and laziness. The Times cartoon section has been censored, Soviet-style: even my archives, the last five years of cartoons that they specifically approved of, have been excised by the Stalinists at Times Digital.

New York Times Ombudsman Replies to Your Complaints

NYT ombudsman David Okrent has posted the following statement at http://forums.nytimes.com/top/opinion/readersopinions/forums/thepubliceditor/danielokrent/index.html?offset=13&fid=.f555e99/13:

On Tuesday, March 2, cartoonist Ted Rall posted this on his “”:

If you read my cartoons at the New York Times website, you may have noticed a hole on the comics page where my work used to appear. It seems that, under the dismally lame cover of ‘moving in a different direction,’ my cartoons were the only feature out of 10 (all supplied by Universal Press Syndicate) that the Times saw fit to drop.

Rall went on to assert that although he believes a newspaper (or, implicitly, a Web site) has the right to publish what it wishes, he feels that The Times has dropped his work from NYTimes.com because “they’re annoyed by receiving so many e-mail complaints about my work — all of them motivated by partisan politics.”

The Times, of course, has a different story. Len Apcar, the editor responsible for NYTimes.com, issued a statement that explained his position. “After two years of monitoring cartoons by Ted Rall,” Apcar said in part, “we have decided that, while he often does good work, we found some of his humor was not in keeping with the tone we try to set for our Web site.”

Here is the full statement:

After two years of monitoring cartoons by Ted Rall we have decided that, while he often does good work, we found some of his humor was not in keeping with the tone we try to set for our Web site. As of late February, his cartoons are no longer available through our Web site. Readers wishing to read his cartoons can find them at www.tedrall.com.

While NYTimes.com and its parent company support the right of free expression, we also recognize an obligation to assure our users that what we publish, no matter what its origin, does not offend the reasonable sensibilities of our audience.

NYTimes.com is continually evaluating the tools and services we provide. We appreciate your feedback and will share it with our colleagues.

Separately, Apcar told me that “I enjoy cartoons and I certainly like to laugh but Ted Rall’s work often didn’t pass the laugh test. Worse, it was offensive too often.”

On principle, I hold with Apcar. Although I happen to think that Rall, while ferociously partisan, can be absolutely brilliant, a lot of his work just doesn’t fit in The Times’s self-defined environment. If you look at some of the cartoons NYTimes.com chose not to publish in the months before pulling the plug altogether, and if you’re familiar with the somewhat demure language and imagery the paper prefers, you will immediately see the disconnect. The following urls will point you to Rall pieces that Apcar and his associates objected to over the past few months, and whether or not you find them offensive (warning: you well might), they certainly aren’t Timesian:

www.ucomics.com/rallcom/2004/01/12/

www.ucomics.com/rallcom/2003/11/20/

www.ucomics.com/rallcom/2003/12/01/

They are clearly at odds with the tone of a paper that shrinks from language that wouldn’t bring a blush to the face of most 10-year-olds I know.

But I’m tempted to differ with Apcar’s solution. Why not just continue what he and his colleagues have been doing, rejecting Rall cartoons that don’t meet Times standards? It’s worked up until now. Then again, I’m not the one who would have to make the choice every day, and sometimes things like this can just make your head hurt. It’s not as if Ted Rall is disappearing from the Web; if you want your daily dose, go to www.tedrall.com. It’s a choice you can make, just as Len Apcar has made his.

It’s worth pointing out that Okrent disagrees with his paper’s final “solution” to the perceived “tone” problem with my cartoons. (Interestingly, the print edition of the Times doesn’t seem to have a problem with my work.) That said, if the Times prefers the “demure” language suitable for ten-year-old readers, it’s nice of them to say so.

As for the examples they posted, I stand by them. And they’ve all been published by many, many other daily newspapers, which might prompt the question: Where does the NY Times stand on the ideological spectrum? As the most small-c conservative newspaper in the United States?

Editor & Publisher Covers NYT.com Censorship

Their story is here. There’s also a mention on Jim Romenesko’s media industry news.

Here’s the lead:

NEW YORK—NYTimes.com said it canceled the use of Ted Rall’s editorial cartoons effective March 1 because they didn’t fit “the tone” of the popular Web site.

When asked why the decision was made, New York Times Digital Spokesperson Christine Mohan said in an e-mail: “After two years of monitoring cartoons by Ted Rall we decided that, while he often does good work, we found some of his humor was not in keeping with the tone we try to set for NYTimes.com … While NYTimes.com and its parent company support the right of free expression, we also recognize an obligation to assure our users that what we publish, no matter what its origin, does not offend the reasonable sensibilities of our audience.”

Boilerplate denial language, but notice the key points. “After two years…” What happened two years ago? “Terror Widows.” That controversial cartoon, which put me on right-wing hit lists, ran on March 30, 2002. “Reasonable sensibilities”?!? My work runs in numerous “family newspapers,” including the print edition of the New York Times itself where, for several years, it has been the most frequently reprinted cartoon in the paper.

Truth is, the “tone” of my work is not at issue here. Content is–specifically political content. The ONLY reason they’re dropping me is because they’re tired of dealing with Republican hate mail–most of it from people who don’t even read the New York Times, but fire off rote complaints against liberal bête noires as part of their daily regimen.

As I wrote before (scroll down), this isn’t about money. New York Times Digital wasn’t paying me any. It’s not even about exposure–online readers can find my cartoons at other websites, including those of prestigious daily newspapers that don’t have any problem with my “tone.”

I have to hand it to the right. While progressives throw up their hands and wonder at the dismal state of affairs in this country, they’re ceaselessly working to eliminate voices that try to move things in a different direction. That’s why Clear Channel Communications, for instance, retaliated against Howard Stern’s endorsement of John Kerry by dropping him. Had the same thing happened to Rush, right-wingers would have created a shitstorm, but not the left: Stern’s callers urged him to fight back. As he replied, there’s nothing he can do. In other words, it’s up to US to fight.

There’s nothing I can do either.

Editor & Publisher Magazine to Cover NYT.com Censorship Story

I don’t know what comments the guys at New York Times Digital had for Editor & Publisher trade magazine, but I’m told that there will be a piece online tomorrow (Thursday) morning. I look forward to reading what they have to say, though I don’t imagine that they’ll come up with more than the usual “changing our direction” BS.

Meanwhile, thanks to those who have already written to the Times! The heat is on, but we have to pursue the same dogged determination as the Republican bloggers if we’re to win this free speech battle. If you haven’t done so already, please scroll down and email the Times Digital editors and ombudsman.

ALERT: New York Times Caves to Republican Pressure, Cancels Ted Rall’s Cartoons

If you read my cartoons at the New York Times website, you may have noticed a hole on the comics page where my work used to appear. It seems that, under the dismally lame cover of “moving in a different direction,” my cartoons were the only feature out of 10 (all supplied by Universal Press Syndicate) that the Times saw fit to drop.

My trouble with the Times website dates back to the “terror widows” controversy. That cartoon, which appeared in March 2002, became the target of a coordinated email attack by right-wing “warbloggers.” These pro-Bush bloggers, coasting on a wave of post-9/11 patriotism, sent out emails to their followers (helpful souls forwarded some to me) asking each other to deluge the Times and other papers with complaints that purported to come from their readers. The Times, under the mistaken belief that hundreds of their readers had complained about the cartoon, dropped that particular piece.

As I said at the time, it’s their paper. They can run what they like. And I still believe that.

Since that time, the Times website has been lackadaisical about maintaining my link to their site. Cartoons often went days without geting posted. It seems that the warbloggers consistent campaign of email harrassment has finally taken its toll over at Times Digital. Because they’re annoyed by receiving so many email complaints about my work–all of them motivated by partisan politics–the Times has decided to drop my cartoons entirely.

Other cartoonists have decried the censorship of their cartoons over political (rather than quality) concerns, but never me. I’ve always believed that papers can run whatever they want–or not. But this is different. For one thing, no money is involved. That’s right–I didn’t get one penny from the Times for running my work online. The syndicate was giving them the content for free–for the exposure, as they say. So when I ask for your help, please rest assured that this isn’t some cheesy financial appeal. If the Times picks me up again, it won’t make any difference to my checkbook.

The fact of the matter is that what the Times has done here to me–and to you–represents a dangerous precedent for a free press (or, in this case, an online press). They’ve sent the message that political pressure works. It’s one thing for an editor to decide that a cartoon no longer works for editorial reasons, or that it’s not as good as it used to be. It’s quite another to cancel it simply because you’re tired of being deluged with hate mail. Dealing with feedback is an editor’s job. If you don’t like the hate mail, delete it.

If you agree that the Times’ stifling of a progressive editorial voice sets a dangerous precedent, please tell them:

Martin Nisenholtz, CEO of New York Times Digital

New York Times Letters to the Editor

Ombudsman Daniel Okrent

New Special Offer: The Last Signed Copies Ever of ALL THE RULES HAVE CHANGED

ALL THE RULES HAVE CHANGED (Rip Off Press, 1995, 128 pp.) was my second collection of cartoons. It compiled work from the earliest days of my syndication with San Francisco Chronicle Features, 1992-1995, as well as some weird side projects and a few really, really primitive toons from the mid-1980s while I was developing my current drawing style. Unlike WAKING UP IN AMERICA (1992), ALL THE RULES was a classy affair. The printing was done properly; there were comments to go along with the cartoons. Then editor of MIGHT magazine Dave Eggers helped me do the cover–it was my first exposure to Photoshop and Quark.

Unfortunately, Rip Off Press, the venerable independent that published the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers, was caught up in the great comics industry meltdown of 1995. ALL THE RULES was, for all intents and purposes, never properly distributed. By some counts fewer than 1000 books were ever shipped. By the time the distribution problem was resolved, Rip Off was barely standing and the cartoons in ALL THE RULES were aging fast. The title went out of print.

Years later, Rip Off told me that, after pulping the print run to make room in their warehouse, they had found a few stray boxes in a corner. Did I want them? Of course I did, and I’ve sold them at public appearances since then.

Now there is just one box left. ALL THE RULES HAVE CHANGED remains incredibly rare, even more so than WAKING UP IN AMERICA, which sells for roughly $90 nowadays. As part of my cleaning out to prepare for a move to a new studio, I’m offering you, the reader, autographed copies of ALL THE RULES HAVE CHANGED for $35 (includes shipping within the United States).

Here’s what you do:

1. Send an e-mail to chet@rall.com to let me know that you’d like to reserve a copy.

2. Send your payment of $35 (check, money order, cash) to: Ted Rall, PO Box 1134, New York NY 10027. Includes shipping within United States.

3. Include a note with your payment telling me how you’d like me to sign your copy. Also tell me your shipping address.

4. I’ll post a notice on the as soon as they’re gone.

MY GUARANTEE: I have no plans to reissue ALL THE RULES HAVE CHANGED nor to republish the cartoons therefrom. Once these books are gone, that’s it.

Waking Up In America

Two copies left. Who wants ’em? Email me: chet@rall.com, then send $35 to PO Box 1134, NY NY 10027.

When I go to the polls in New York tomorrow, I plan to send a message to the Democratic National Committee by flipping the knob (we have those old 1950s voting machines and I hope they never change them) for Dennis Kucinich. Now Dennis didn’t do much to ingratiate himself to yours truly, even turning down my invitation to interview him for my column about as rudely as humanly possible, so I’m not losing much sleep over his failure to catch fire with the electorate. That said, he’s the only liberal on the Democratic ballot. A significant vote for Kucinich will be interpreted by DNC honchos as a desire for a more liberal candidate in the fall, which might shove Kerry (pro-Iraq war, pro-NAFTA, pro-WTO, probably won’t get rid of Bush’s tax cuts) a little to the left.

With Kerry’s nomination a foregone conclusion, let’s do what we can to convince him to work harder to appeal to the Democratic wing of the Democratic party. Then, after we lose, let’s work enthusiastically for Kerry to replace Bush. Then, if we win, we’ll replace Kerry in 2008 with a real liberal.

Something Stinks in Haiti

The mainstream media has been long on drama and short on details relative to the anti-Aristide coup in Haiti. Who exactly are the coup leaders? Who’s providing their funding and arms? Why did the US and France cooperate in getting rid of him? What role did the IMF, whose efforts to subject Haiti to “structural adjustment” had been resisted by the ousted president, play?

Emails from those with insider information would be welcomed today.

A Few Random Updates

I’m off for a few days to give a speech at the National Press Club, so the blog will be fairly inactive until the weekend. Until then:

There are 3 copies left of WAKING UP IN AMERICA. If you want one, let me know since I’ll be checking email.

I’ll post information about ALL THE RULES HAVE CHANGED next week. (Hint: it’s the same deal if you want a head start.)

Just got the word that REAL AMERICANS ADMIT THE WORST THING I’VE EVER DONE will remain out of print for the foreseeable future, or until I do the long-awaited sequel thereto which I can’t even imagine starting to work on considering the 2-3 books I already have in the pipeline. I think Amazon still has a few left at cover price; I don’t think I have any.

ATTITUDE 2 has shipped to stores. If you order if from Amazon now (“pre-order,” they still say), you’ll have it shortly. Ditto if you ask your local bookstore to get it.

WAKE UP, YOU’RE LIBERAL is available for pre-orders through Amazon, with an expected pub date of April 9th.

A reader reminds me to remind you about the Ted Rall Subscription Service, mentioned earlier somewhere down there. For $10/year, you get my toons, freelance projects and columns emailed directly to you, sometimes days in advance of publication. If you want to subscribe for 2004, send the dough in any legal form to Ted Rall, PO Box 1134, New York NY 10027 and don’t forget your email address.

People are also asking about my challenge to Republican readers. Incredibly, only one Republican (!) was willing to consider voting for, say, John Kerry, this fall. His condition: that Bush be declared legally and clinically insane. Every other Republican respondent said that (s)he would vote for Bush no matter what–even if he were found to be a mass murderer (which, of course, he is) or rapist (which, of course, his troops are). Republicans have a lot to teach Democrats about loyalty, though I’m not certain that it’s a lesson we should want to learn.

I’m still working on putting together the trip to Iraq. It’s becoming very difficult to find newspapers willing to front the kind of money that covers the extravagant costs of operating in an active war zone (mainly bribe and transportation money), not to mention compensation for the risks involved. Unless someone steps forward with a few thousand bucks soon, it may not happen.