The Star Tribune is moving on without an editorial cartoonist, following an announcement Monday that Mike Thompson would be moved from a full-time role to a freelance position.
The independent Minneapolis Star Tribune reports that Mike Thompson, who the newspaper hired in April of this year as a staff editorial cartoonist, will now cartoon for the paper in a freelance position.
In a note to readers The Star Tribune said:
As the Star Tribune continues to assess the best ways to develop our news organization, we’ve decided to move forward without a full-time editorial cartoonist on staff. We’re grateful to Mike Thompson for his work as a staff cartoonist and look forward to opportunities to publish his work on a freelance basis in the future.
The Star Tribune itself published a more comprehensive report:
Aside from praising Thompson’s work, the company declined further comment.
This will be the first time the Star Tribune will be without a full-time editorial cartoonist in decades. Before Thompson, Steve Sack spent over 40 years as the newspaper’s cartoonist.
Asked for a reaction to the change, Thompson said he’s “excited to try something new.”
The Minneapolis Star Tribune is among the top ten most circulated newspapers in the U.S.,
only one of which now has a staff editorial cartoonist.
Cartoonists were very excited when the Star-Tribune announced they were going to fill Steve Sack’s position. Even cartoonists who weren’t applying were excited. I was walking home from drawing a cartoon at Starbucks and got three messages about this position before I made it home. I feel kind of betrayed, not just for Mike but for the entire industry.
And after I drew a cartoon for National Newspaper Week.
Unless Mike is genuinely “excited to try something new,” I’m hugely disappointed in the Strib.
How sad! A truly cogent and inspiring means of engaging political thought.