That darn Ann Telnaes

Readers critique The Post: Decision not to run cartoon undermines trust [Letters to the Editor; in print as Decision not to run cartoon undermines readers' trust]

Washington Post

January 11, 2025 : A13

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/01/10/ann-telnes-jimmy-carter-taylor-swift-dave-barry-cricket/

Every week, The Post runs a collection of letters of readers' grievances — pointing out grammatical mistakes, missing coverage and inconsistencies. These letters tell us what we did wrong and, occasionally, offer praise. Here, we present this week's Free for All letters.

Editorial page editor David Shipley insulted readers' intelligence with his explanation for refusing to run Ann Telnaes's cartoon critical of Post owner Jeff Bezos. After Telnaes resigned, Shipley asserted to the New York Times that his only goal was avoiding repetition, as The Post had already run commentary critical of billionaires' obsequiousness to Donald Trump.

The Post frequently features opinion pieces making similar points. It has continually published pieces since the election on how Democrats have only themselves to blame for losing because they are too woke. The Editorial Board wrote multiple pieces in 2024 alone (on March 9, May 14, Sept. 19 and Nov. 30) about Haiti, all making the argument for intervention, in addition to pieces by Lee Hockstader (March 15), Colbert I. King (March 16) and James B. Foley (March 26) making the same argument. Three times in 2024, The Post published George F. Will's complaint that Woodrow Wilson was the first president to criticize the nation's founding — on May 23, July 14 and Nov. 14. Surely the issue of billionaires bowing to Trump is more worthy of reinforcement than Will's thinking about a president who has been dead for a century.

Particularly given its recent history of spiking a presidential endorsement, The Post should take special care to ensure it is demonstrating editorial independence. Shipley's decision, and his explanation for it, undermines trust in every word published in the paper.

William Sullivan, Washington

I can see Herblock, in his grave, furiously drawing a cartoon supporting Ann Telnaes's resignation.

Wayne Shipp, Woodbridge