EOTO #1: History of Political Cartooning

 Political cartoons have been around for centuries, and are used as a form of artistic expression in politics. According to Brittanica, political cartoons have been identified as drawings made to convey editorial commentary on politics, politicians, and current events. There are five key components to check off when creating a political cartoon: symbols, exaggeration, irony, labeling, and analogy. 

Political cartoons got their start in 1720 with the collapse of the South Sea Company. With every significant historical event that followed, a political cartoon would follow as well and they still do today, centuries later. Some older cartoons have even been modernized or revamped to revisit certain events. 

Benjamin Franklin, The Pennsylvania Gazette, 1754 

Matt Davies, Newsday 2023 

 The significance behind Benjamin Franklin's original cartoon falls into two parts: the main idea, identifying the five key elements. The main idea of this cartoon was to promote the union of the American colonies at the beginning of the French and Indian War. The cartoon appeared a number of times as a means of convincing the colonies to join each other or, as it says...die. As for the key elements, the usage of a snake could have possibly symbolized regeneration, because snakes shed their skins. There was also a legend that stated if a snake was cut into pieces and reassembled before sunset, it could come back to life. The snake was cut into eight pieces in the cartoon to represent the eight colonies. The cartoon was first featured in an editorial written by Franklin for the Pennsylvania Gazette on May 9th, 1754. 

The cartoon created by Matt Davies bears a striking similarity to that of Franklin's, and that's because the two are directly linked to each other. The first thing you'll notice is the snake. The snake is not at all cut apart and remains in one piece, but has its tail in its mouth. Upon further analysis of the wording used in this cartoon, there is an apparent history of the use of the phrase, "Don't tread on me" in politics, and it is considered highly controversial. The phrase, "Don't tread on me" is an expression of American patriotism and individualism. Those who choose to use this phrase are supposedly reaching for freedom without overarching government rule. The cartoon stems from a yellow flag sporting a snake with its tail in its mouth, more often referred to as the Gadsden flag. While America was considering a revolution from Great Britain, Franklin created his cartoon of the colonies as severed pieces of a snake. The Gadsden flag, created by Colonel Christopher Gadsden, was said to be directly based on the "Join or Die" cartoon, with the intention of spreading vigilance. The Gadsden flag is now a largely recognized symbol of the Revolutionary War. Those supporting the flag currently believe that it represents courage and holds historic value. Those who dislike the flag believe that it represents racial discrimination and harassment because Gadsden was a known slave owner and trader. 

Aside from Benjamin Franklin, other popular political cartoonists from the 1700s to the 1900s include William Hogarth, George Townshend, Thomas Nast, James Gillary, George Cruikshank, John Tenniel, and Rube Goldberg. 

The Association of American Editorial Cartoonists, or the AAEC, is a group of political cartoonist members who aim to protect the right to keep creating political cartoons. They claim that political cartoons are crucial as a form of expression. 

 

The cartoon below has a lot to unpack. It was created by Matt Wuerker in 2016, and published in the online magazine, Politico. The message is clear: journalism acts as the dam for a constant overflow of propaganda, fake news, and the overall release of false information into public news outlets. The pipes spewing garbage into the water are labeled, "fake news", "propaganda", "rumors", "malarkey", "conspiracy theories", and "disinformation". It's easy to interpret that those six things are contaminating the news being presented to the public. With so much contamination in the news as of late, it is getting increasingly difficult today to filter out what's fake. A journalist's job is to find the facts, get rid of the fake news, and ultimately give the people the truth and nothing but the truth. 

Matt Wuerker, Politico, 2016 

Sources 

https://www.illustrationhistory.org/genres/cartooning-political-and-editorial#:~:text=Political%20or%20editorial%20cartooning%20is,Series%E2%80%9D%20engravings%2C%20was%20published 

https://www.britannica.com/topic/political-cartoon 

https://www.lambiek.net/comiclopedia/artist-compendium.html 

https://firstamendmentmuseum.org/exhibits/virtual-exhibits/art-politics-300-years-of-political-cartoons/?gclid=Cj0KCQiA2-2eBhClARIsAGLQ2RkyQlPSlcyXkSpxenfWta10G-Nb7vpdm_79oOO3FlMv9dl5HIXnJOIaAuYAEALw_wcB 

https://www.politico.com/gallery/2016/12/december-2016-002382?slide=0 

https://editorialcartoonists.com/about-the-association-of-american-editorial-cartoonists/

https://www.rjmatsoncartoons.com/editorialcartoons 

https://twitter.com/AAEC_Cartoonist 

Why Journalism?

Disclaimer: there is a very lengthy response ahead, because of course that's what a writer would do. 

Why journalism? I'd give you the simple answer of, "because I want to", but that's not good enough. We have standards here. Now, without further ado, let's dive into the complex answer. 

I've always found it essential to pay attention to current events, although due to my heavy background in the performing arts (see About Me), I found myself focusing on the entertainment industry more than anything else. I watched celebrities storm the red carpet, getting interviewed about their clothing, their lives, and their upcoming projects, and I could truly see myself giving those interviews. I grew up watching Access Hollywood and reading magazines by companies ranging from Variety to Vanity Fair while sitting in the front of a nail salon with my little sister. I didn't know any of these things were a type of journalism at the time, but looking back at when I was a kid, journalism was everywhere, and I always seemed to find it. Another example that I find ironic is that my favorite movie is The Devil Wears Prada. The main character, Andrea Sachs, is a journalist! 

Andrea Sachs in The Devil Wears Prada

Entertainment journalism aside, the news in general has interested me for as long as I could understand it. Little Reanna used to find it funny that weathermen couldn't get fired for reporting the weather wrong. Politics tended to confuse me, but they were definitely intriguing. I remember watching Trump and Clinton battle it out in 2016 and thinking about how much of a mess it was. As I witnessed more elections unfold over the years, I unknowingly began to learn the most important part of being a journalist: separating the facts from fiction. Every news channel boasted a different story, and it was hard to keep track of the truth. To this day, it still is. Now that I've gone through my early relationship with journalism, let's fast-forward to last year when I realized just how significant journalism is to me. 

My goal in my freshman year of college was to double major in both theater performance and journalism, but I was then encouraged to just choose one. I listened, choosing theater and taking a journalism course as an elective, to get a feel for what I would be missing out on. I took Human Communication, and I absolutely loved it! Professor Williams made public speaking the most fun thing ever. Taking that class alone made me wish I had chosen journalism. I kept thinking to myself, I should've been in journalism. What are you doing? Don't get me wrong. I love theater! I love acting! I even auditioned for Nickelodeon once (that's a story for another time). I just knew that I couldn't keep going down that career path. I wanted to do something different. However, I didn't end up changing my major for two years. 

Here's a funny story. Over Thanksgiving break this past fall, I completely reevaluated everything after watching the 2022 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade with my family. Yes, you read that right. The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, of all things, made me finally change my mind. As the balloons and every singer and dancer passed by on the tv, I couldn't help but notice the anchors on the screen when I switched over to the CBS channel. I thought to myself, this has to be a sign. What they're doing looks so fun! I want to do that! At dinner later that day, my relatives popped the age-old question, "how's college?" and I struggled to answer it. My mind had been constantly bouncing back and forth: theater, journalism, theater, journalism. I smiled and vaguely spoke about my major, telling them all that I loved it. As I watched my older cousins discuss their careers working at law firms or teaching and my younger cousin going into graphic design, I knew there was more I could be doing with my life. I came back to school a couple days later and immediately changed my major from theater performance to journalism. Those major change papers became my ticket to the greatest field of study a watcher, reader, and writer could dream of. 

Kevin Frazier and Keltie Knight hosting for CBS

I've mentioned the term writer a few times in here, so it's only right that I explain what defines me as a writer before we wrap this up. In my free time, I write songs (see About Me) and poems. They won't necessarily help me the most with journalism, but my creativity has to go somewhere! I enjoy giving presentations, writing essays, and public speaking the same way I love performing. When you take a moment to think about it, pieces of music and writing for journalism can be directly linked. Both offer a detailed story, sometimes an exposé on a subject or topic. I've made it a point to only tell the truth in my lyrics, which I believe is good practice for journalism. I wouldn't say that music has inspired me to become a journalist, but it is fair to say that music is a form of journalism. 

 

The cover art I designed for my single, Heartstrings 

Due to my background, my talents, and the urge to always uncover the truth, I am determined to become a journalist. That is why journalism.