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 Rallblog 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 Rallblog 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.

Vote Kucinich Tomorrow, Kerry in November



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.