The right-wing outrage machine gears up, and a cartoonist gets death threats

The scary aftermath of an editorial cartoon about Texas

Here are some possible reasonable responses to seeing an editorial cartoon you don’t agree with:

— Write an email to the journalist who created it, expressing your opposing view.

— Point it out to your friends or family and explain why you think it’s wrong. See what they have to say.

— Post your reaction on social media, making a logical counter-argument to the substance of the commentary.

A stone painted with an encouraging message along the Guadalupe River after the fatal Texas floods / Getty Images

That’s very much not what happened over the past few days after Adam Zyglis, staff editorial cartoonist at the Buffalo News, published his commentary about the need for strong government help when disaster strikes — specifically the Texas flood that has tragically taken so many lives.

His cartoon, see below, has a sharp point, which is typical for this Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist. The cartoon skewers the oft-heard conservative claim that “government is the problem not the solution,” since it’s obvious that government agencies like FEMA have such a crucial role. That claim is “swept away” in the tragedy of the flood. (And this comes at a time when recent cutbacks at FEMA are blamed for the slow response to Texans seeking aid, as reported by the New York Times in a story headlined “FEMA Didn’t Answer Thousands of Calls From Flood Survivors, Documents Show” — find a gift link here.)

After right-wing politicians and media figures attacked Zyglis, the cartoonist got such vicious threats to his and his family’s life that it became necessary to alert the FBI, local police and hire private security. A Buffalo Newspaper Guild event at the Buffalo History Museum last Thursday, intended to support local journalism, was canceled because Zyglis was to be the focal point. Organizers feared there would be disruption — or worse.

This cartoon from Adam Zyglis prompted death threats and attacks from right-wing social media accounts with millions of followers/ Courtesy of Adam Zyglis

The whole chapter both highlights and exposes how the right-wing outrage machine is always ready to mobilize,

“All that media infrastructure — Fox, influencers, pundits — is primed, and Adam Zyglis is the grist du jour,” Milo Vassallo, executive director of The Media and Democracy Project, told me.

Consider the timeline.

The cartoon had been published online for two days and in print for more than a day, without unusual feedback, when Michael Kracker, the Erie County Republican chairman, posted on X that it was “mocking Texas families who lost loved ones in a tragedy, just because they might’ve voted Republican,” calling it “twisted, vile and shameful,” and demanding an apology.

Fox News quickly ran a story, and soon major right-wing X accounts were jumping in, repeating that the cartoon was “vile,” and riling up their millions of followers. Soon came the doxxing and death threats, including to Zyglis’s family members. The well-oiled thug machine was in gear.

Kracker later said he condemns the threats, and never intended to foment any such reaction.

In addition to the nastiness — along with the fear that someone truly unhinged would show up in person — there’s an underlying problem here.

Call it media illiteracy. It’s the pervasive lack of knowledge about what a political cartoon is supposed to be, and what it’s supposed to do — provoke thought and, yes, even disagreement. Instead of understanding that, many people leap to the faulty conclusion that since the editorial commentary comes in the form of a cartoon, it must be making a joke at someone’s expense.

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I know Zyglis pretty well. I hired him many years ago, fresh out of Buffalo’s Canisius College, following his standout internship at The Buffalo News where I was the editor. I wasn’t surprised when he won the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for editorial cartooning or a slew of other awards and recognition. I know him to be thoughtful, humane and intelligent, as well as a devoted husband and father. He’s also open to all kinds of views, and he keeps in touch with plenty of people who don’t share his progressive stance.

Some people do seem to grasp what he does.

“Freedom of the press is a cornerstone of our democracy and threats of violence against journalists are an attack on all of us,” said Congressman Tim Kennedy, a Buffalo Democrat. He added that Zyglis “uses his art to challenge, question and inspire.”

Readers, I’m interested in your views on this, and whether you think a renewed emphasis on civics education — including the role of the press in a democracy — is in order. Maybe people could learn that not every cartoon is a “joke,” and certainly not a joke at the expense of disaster victims.

Thank you very much for your support and your interest in these issues. Below is some information about me and what I’m trying to do here on American Crisis since — happily — there are many new subscribers who may be interested.

My background: I am a Lackawanna, NY native who started my career as a summer intern at the Buffalo News, my hometown daily. After years as a reporter and editor, I was named the paper’s first woman editor in chief in 1999, and ran the 200-person newsroom for almost 13 years. Starting in 2012, I served as the first woman “public editor” of the New York Times — an internal media critic and reader representative — and later was the media columnist for the Washington Post. These days, I write here on Substack, as well as for the Guardian US, and teach an ethics course at Columbia Journalism School. I’ve also written two books and won a few awards, including three for defending First Amendment principles.

The purpose of ‘American Crisis’: My aim is to use this newsletter (it started as a podcast in 2023) to push for the kind of journalism we need for our democracy to function — journalism that is accurate, fair, mission-driven and public-spirited. That means that I point out the media’s flaws and failures when necessary.

What I ask of you: Last fall, I removed the paywall so that everyone could read and comment. I thought it was important in this dire moment and might be helpful. If you are able to subscribe at $50 a year or $8 a month, or upgrade your unpaid subscription, that will help to support this venture — and keep it going for all. Thank you!