Should editors fact check the comics

To what extent are newspapers supposed to edit or fact check the content of comic strips? That’s the topic a column by Manning Pynn, the Public Editor at the Orlando Sentinel, who recently had to deal with a reader who questioned the factuality of a Mallard Fillmore strip regarding taxes.

The tax question involved was Bruce Tinsley’s assertion that $.65 of every tax dollar went to support the IRS. Bruce cited a study by the American Institute.

In the end, the editor called the author of the study who agreed that Bruce had misinterpreted the article.

Inaccuracies aside, Mr. Manning still didn’t think fact checking the funnies was a good idea.

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