Comments on: An open letter to members of the AAEC http://dailycartoonist.com/index.php/2007/07/24/an-open-letter-to-members-of-the-aaec/ The source for industry news for the professional cartoonist Sun, 12 Feb 2012 00:54:39 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: CR Holiday Interview #15: Alan Gardner on the Year in Newspaper Strips and Editorial Cartooning | Technophobiac Comics http://dailycartoonist.com/index.php/2007/07/24/an-open-letter-to-members-of-the-aaec/#comment-68159 CR Holiday Interview #15: Alan Gardner on the Year in Newspaper Strips and Editorial Cartooning | Technophobiac Comics Mon, 07 Jan 2008 18:01:36 +0000 http://dailycartoonist.com/index.php/2007/07/24/an-open-letter-to-members-of-the-aaec/#comment-68159 [...] did editorial cartooning news seem more hopeful this year than maybe the last few? You wrote about the editorial cartoonist as victim stance in August; what was the reaction to your piece? GARDNER: I'm not sure that much has changed from [...] [...] did editorial cartooning news seem more hopeful this year than maybe the last few? You wrote about the editorial cartoonist as victim stance in August; what was the reaction to your piece? GARDNER: I’m not sure that much has changed from [...]

]]> By: nealo.com - cartoons by Neal Obermeyer » Blog Archive » Draw me a river http://dailycartoonist.com/index.php/2007/07/24/an-open-letter-to-members-of-the-aaec/#comment-61210 nealo.com - cartoons by Neal Obermeyer » Blog Archive » Draw me a river Mon, 30 Jul 2007 20:01:14 +0000 http://dailycartoonist.com/index.php/2007/07/24/an-open-letter-to-members-of-the-aaec/#comment-61210 [...] ‘endangered species’: When I wrote last week that today’s editorial cartoonists are “infatuated by their own victim status” this is an example of what I mean. It’s becoming an incessant whine that their profession is in [...] [...] ‘endangered species’: When I wrote last week that today’s editorial cartoonists are “infatuated by their own victim status” this is an example of what I mean. It’s becoming an incessant whine that their profession is in [...]

]]> By: nealo.com - cartoons by Neal Obermeyer » Blog Archive » http://dailycartoonist.com/index.php/2007/07/24/an-open-letter-to-members-of-the-aaec/#comment-61209 nealo.com - cartoons by Neal Obermeyer » Blog Archive » Mon, 30 Jul 2007 20:00:46 +0000 http://dailycartoonist.com/index.php/2007/07/24/an-open-letter-to-members-of-the-aaec/#comment-61209 [...] ‘endangered species’: When I wrote last week that today’s editorial cartoonists are “infatuated by their own victim status” this is an example of what I mean. It’s becoming an incessant whine that their profession is in [...] [...] ‘endangered species’: When I wrote last week that today’s editorial cartoonists are “infatuated by their own victim status” this is an example of what I mean. It’s becoming an incessant whine that their profession is in [...]

]]> By: The Daily Cartoonist | News and blog about comic strips, editorial cartoons, cartoons http://dailycartoonist.com/index.php/2007/07/24/an-open-letter-to-members-of-the-aaec/#comment-61192 The Daily Cartoonist | News and blog about comic strips, editorial cartoons, cartoons Mon, 30 Jul 2007 14:37:16 +0000 http://dailycartoonist.com/index.php/2007/07/24/an-open-letter-to-members-of-the-aaec/#comment-61192 [...] I wrote last week that today’s editorial cartoonists are “infatuated by their own victim status” this is an example of what I mean. It’s becoming an incessant whine that their [...] [...] I wrote last week that today’s editorial cartoonists are “infatuated by their own victim status” this is an example of what I mean. It’s becoming an incessant whine that their [...]

]]> By: Rich http://dailycartoonist.com/index.php/2007/07/24/an-open-letter-to-members-of-the-aaec/#comment-61068 Rich Fri, 27 Jul 2007 17:43:59 +0000 http://dailycartoonist.com/index.php/2007/07/24/an-open-letter-to-members-of-the-aaec/#comment-61068 Two thoughts. 1) I haven't read an editorial cartoonist's opinion about a cartoon they created that ever added to it or made their position more clear. The cartoons speak well for themselves. A blog to have a relationship with readers is a good reason for doing it ... but to add insight into the thinking behind a cartoon ... just don't even bother. Usually it takes away from it. 2) Blog news can range from pure crap to extremely excellent journalism (way better than the 6th grade level, monolithic view that is printed in most newspapers). So if you believe in the democratic process, blogs and alternative media will help to broaden newspapers (or kill them) and a filtering out will occur to improve the product delivered. Part of the problem with newspapers is that other than local articles and features (and the comics of course), is they seldom do much other that pass along the AP wire and seldom carry a variety of viewpoints. They've gotten lazy and always go for the sensational bad news. Investigative reporting seems all but dead ... it's mostly pile on the big story and recycle other's findings. The real competition with the internet may well be between big news services and the better blogs. Anyway, just my opinion from the sidelines. Two thoughts. 1) I haven’t read an editorial cartoonist’s opinion about a cartoon they created that ever added to it or made their position more clear. The cartoons speak well for themselves. A blog to have a relationship with readers is a good reason for doing it … but to add insight into the thinking behind a cartoon … just don’t even bother. Usually it takes away from it.

2) Blog news can range from pure crap to extremely excellent journalism (way better than the 6th grade level, monolithic view that is printed in most newspapers). So if you believe in the democratic process, blogs and alternative media will help to broaden newspapers (or kill them) and a filtering out will occur to improve the product delivered. Part of the problem with newspapers is that other than local articles and features (and the comics of course), is they seldom do much other that pass along the AP wire and seldom carry a variety of viewpoints. They’ve gotten lazy and always go for the sensational bad news. Investigative reporting seems all but dead … it’s mostly pile on the big story and recycle other’s findings. The real competition with the internet may well be between big news services and the better blogs. Anyway, just my opinion from the sidelines.

]]> By: DT http://dailycartoonist.com/index.php/2007/07/24/an-open-letter-to-members-of-the-aaec/#comment-61063 DT Fri, 27 Jul 2007 15:14:19 +0000 http://dailycartoonist.com/index.php/2007/07/24/an-open-letter-to-members-of-the-aaec/#comment-61063 With regard to the newspaper industry, I hope this doesn't come as too big a shocker, and I'm sure this comment will be met with derision by those of a liberal bent, but it could just be that newspapers are missing a key ingredient that they used to have - objectivity. It reminds me of Joseph Pulitzer's warning that "A cynical, mercenary, demagogic press will produce in time a people as base as itself." I think, since he couldn't see the internet in the future, he got it a bit wrong. Instead of the people becoming "base" due to a demagogic press, they've instead stopped reading newspapers in favor of a more sensational and sensationalized source of infotainment. I think the great silent majority (and the majority is silent, whether due to apathy or just because they're too damned busy living life to complain about it) don't want preachy news ... they want to know what's going on, the "who, what, where, when" of things. The "why" is somewhat more tricky and perhaps motives should be more circumspect, at least in reporting. If the newspapers (and broadcast news as well) would go back to reporting the news with less of a bias, more folks might read them, advertising would increase and the editorial cartoonist, whose job it is to present his view of the MOTIVE for news events, could get back to doing his job and leave the blogging to folks like, oh....the "Baghdad Diarist". just my two cents worth. With regard to the newspaper industry, I hope this doesn’t come as too big a shocker, and I’m sure this comment will be met with derision by those of a liberal bent, but it could just be that newspapers are missing a key ingredient that they used to have – objectivity. It reminds me of Joseph Pulitzer’s warning that “A cynical, mercenary, demagogic press will produce in time a people as base as itself.” I think, since he couldn’t see the internet in the future, he got it a bit wrong. Instead of the people becoming “base” due to a demagogic press, they’ve instead stopped reading newspapers in favor of a more sensational and sensationalized source of infotainment. I think the great silent majority (and the majority is silent, whether due to apathy or just because they’re too damned busy living life to complain about it) don’t want preachy news … they want to know what’s going on, the “who, what, where, when” of things. The “why” is somewhat more tricky and perhaps motives should be more circumspect, at least in reporting.

If the newspapers (and broadcast news as well) would go back to reporting the news with less of a bias, more folks might read them, advertising would increase and the editorial cartoonist, whose job it is to present his view of the MOTIVE for news events, could get back to doing his job and leave the blogging to folks like, oh….the “Baghdad Diarist”.

just my two cents worth.

]]> By: Neal Obermeyer http://dailycartoonist.com/index.php/2007/07/24/an-open-letter-to-members-of-the-aaec/#comment-60992 Neal Obermeyer Thu, 26 Jul 2007 16:41:04 +0000 http://dailycartoonist.com/index.php/2007/07/24/an-open-letter-to-members-of-the-aaec/#comment-60992 My blogging doesn't appear in the paper and I use the help of several other people to do most of the work, so I'm hoping that means I'm at least a finalist for this year's Pulitzer. My blogging doesn’t appear in the paper and I use the help of several other people to do most of the work, so I’m hoping that means I’m at least a finalist for this year’s Pulitzer.

]]> By: John Auchter http://dailycartoonist.com/index.php/2007/07/24/an-open-letter-to-members-of-the-aaec/#comment-60980 John Auchter Thu, 26 Jul 2007 12:38:54 +0000 http://dailycartoonist.com/index.php/2007/07/24/an-open-letter-to-members-of-the-aaec/#comment-60980 My only issue with blogging (and from conversations at the AAEC convention I believe this is generally true among editorial cartoonists) is that it tends to be oversold by enthusiasts. The sarcastic title of the session “Blog or Die!” kind of tells you that. Creating and maintaining a decent blog requires a great deal of effort. Money is not easily made. Two-way conversations can be difficult to start and are often less than worthwhile when they do (just like in real life!). That said, blogging provides an excellent opportunity to extend and grow. It doesn’t have to be just one more thing to do; it can be part of a solution, which is the tack David Horsey seems to be taking. I’ve gone from email newsletter, to website, to blog, and am now trying to figure the next evolutionary step. Taken with a spoonful of realism, blogging can be a good thing.... My only issue with blogging (and from conversations at the AAEC convention I believe this is generally true among editorial cartoonists) is that it tends to be oversold by enthusiasts. The sarcastic title of the session “Blog or Die!” kind of tells you that.

Creating and maintaining a decent blog requires a great deal of effort. Money is not easily made. Two-way conversations can be difficult to start and are often less than worthwhile when they do (just like in real life!).

That said, blogging provides an excellent opportunity to extend and grow. It doesn’t have to be just one more thing to do; it can be part of a solution, which is the tack David Horsey seems to be taking. I’ve gone from email newsletter, to website, to blog, and am now trying to figure the next evolutionary step. Taken with a spoonful of realism, blogging can be a good thing….

]]> By: Anne http://dailycartoonist.com/index.php/2007/07/24/an-open-letter-to-members-of-the-aaec/#comment-60957 Anne Thu, 26 Jul 2007 03:21:28 +0000 http://dailycartoonist.com/index.php/2007/07/24/an-open-letter-to-members-of-the-aaec/#comment-60957 How much of this is really about editorial cartoonists blogging and adapting to the web and how much is really an excuse for papers to reduce their staff in favor of freelancers. Businesses all over the country are dropping full time employees in favor of "independent contractors". Even colleges and universities - those bastions of the secure tenured faculty - are drastically reducing their tenure track positions in favor of ad hoc staff. Could this be part of that bigger picture with "blog or else" as a convenient cover story? How much of this is really about editorial cartoonists blogging and adapting to the web and how much is really an excuse for papers to reduce their staff in favor of freelancers. Businesses all over the country are dropping full time employees in favor of “independent contractors”. Even colleges and universities – those bastions of the secure tenured faculty – are drastically reducing their tenure track positions in favor of ad hoc staff. Could this be part of that bigger picture with “blog or else” as a convenient cover story?

]]> By: Garey Mckee http://dailycartoonist.com/index.php/2007/07/24/an-open-letter-to-members-of-the-aaec/#comment-60949 Garey Mckee Thu, 26 Jul 2007 01:55:28 +0000 http://dailycartoonist.com/index.php/2007/07/24/an-open-letter-to-members-of-the-aaec/#comment-60949 Well I agree with making yourself available to your readers, I didn't mean to suggest otherwise in that regard. But I maintain that a cartoonist's "journal" should be his cartoons and NOT a blog. I don't want to read what a cartoonist thinks about a particular issue in a blog, I want to SEE a cartoonist's TAKE on that issue in his cartoons. Well I agree with making yourself available to your readers, I didn’t mean to suggest otherwise in that regard. But I maintain that a cartoonist’s “journal” should be his cartoons and NOT a blog. I don’t want to read what a cartoonist thinks about a particular issue in a blog, I want to SEE a cartoonist’s TAKE on that issue in his cartoons.

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