Acknowledgements
We would like to thank: The cartoonists, who, through their work, their opinions or their testimonials, have contributed to the development of this document. Without the courage and enthusiasm to keep this profession alive despite the constraints that afflict them, all this would be meaningless.UNESCO/GMDF, which helped initiate the drafting of this report, produced as part of the “Enhancing legal support to press cartoonists in the digital age (2022-2023)”2, as well as the Isocrates Foundation, the World Forum for Democracy and the Freedom Cartoonists Foundation, who contributed entirely to its success.The many partners who, in addition to unfailing assistance of our day-to-day monitoring, support and advocacy work, have contributed in one way or another to the production of this report.
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| Adene, (France) News |
Our special thanks go to the writers of the contributions that punctuate and enrich the document:
• Kak, cartoonist and President of Cartooning for Peace
• Matt Wuerker, cartoonist and President of Cartoonists Rights• Dounia Benslimane, Moroccan cultural operator, member of the executive board of the NGO Freemuse
• John Curtis, Managing Director of Africartoons
• Emanuele del Rosso (press cartoonist member of Cartooning for Peace) and Federica Testi, creators of the Tough Laugh, Tough Law podcast
• Glez, press cartoonist member of Cartooning for Peace
• Alberto Godioli, Associate at the University of Groningen and co-founder of the Forum for Humor and Law (ForHum)
• John A. Lent, Editor-in-Chief, International Journal of Comic Art (IJOCA)
• Pavol Szalai, Head of the European Union/Balkans desk, Reporters Without Borders (RSF)
• Julie Trébault, Director and Alessandro Zagato, Latin America Regional Representative, Artists at Risk Connection (ARC)Cartooning for Peace and Cartoonists Rights teams for
their contribution to the report.
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| Rodriguez, (Mexico) |
Overview
In June 2020, during the earlier months of the COVID-19 pandemic, and in a joint statement3 with the Netherlands-based platform Cartoon Movement, Cartooning for Peace and Cartoonists Rights declared:
“[…] 2020 could see the global community of cartoonists irrevocably damaged. In part the circumstances are unavoidable; the economic depression will lead to the loss of many, and we have seen that attrition is already underway. But far worse, deliberate repressive action will silence yet more.”
Following “une année noire”4 for cartoonists in 2019, the pandemic was an extended period of troubling developments, further compounded by the crises in Afghanistan, Myanmar, Russia, and Ukraine. This report shall seek to highlight a number of worrying trends in evidence between 2020 and 2022. A period during which the partners adjudge that the number of relevant partners adjudge that the number of relevant cases per year almost doubled.
"When you question authority,
when you hold up a mirror to
authority, that’s what makes you a
satirist or a cartoonist. And it is
essential that in any healthy
democracy that satirists should not
face censorship, they should be
allowed to make fun of who they
want, they should be allowed to
question who they want, there should
be space for them to thrive. And only a
very insecure and very authoritarian
government would silence satirists."
Rachita Taneja (India
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| Pismestrovic, (Austria) |
There are many treatises6 on cartoonists and why they require dedicated advocacy and we do not propose to rehearse the arguments. Suffice it to say that in the broadest terms, the work of editorial and political cartoonists functions as a mode of criticism. The cartoonists featured in this report have pointed out the foibles of leaders, derided the inadequacies of governments, or the hypocrisy inherent in a particular mode of thought or behaviour. In doing so, they have employed satire, hyperbole and exaggeration or depicted matters considered taboo.In addition, with only a few exceptions the work discussed herein is concise. The familiar mode of editorial cartoon is capable of much – poignant or subtle expressions of emotion as well as moral outrage and mockery – but it is not an essay, something that lays out a seriesases per year almost doubled. There are many treatises6 on cartoonists and why they require dedicated advocacy and we do not propose to rehearse the arguments. Suffice it to say that in the broadest terms, the work of editorial and political cartoonists functions as a mode of criticism. The cartoonists featured in this report have pointed out the foibles of leaders, derided the inadequacies of governments, or the hypocrisy inherent in a particular mode of thought or behaviour. In doing so, they have employed satire, hyperbole and exaggeration or depicted matters considered taboo.
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| Shilov, (Russia) On the sign: "No to the war" The police agents: - "If we don't arrest you, we'll be sent to the frontline" |
In addition, with only a few exceptions the work discussed herein is concise. The familiar mode of editorial cartoon is capable of much – poignant or subtle expressions of emotion as well as moral outrage and mockery – but it is not an essay, something that lays out a series of detailed arguments. In terms of prose, a cartoon is often more comparable to an opinion columnist’s work than that of an investigation journalist7. Crucially however, it is not the same as either, but is a unique discipline, at the crossroads between art and journalism.
Given both the immediacy of the form and its exaggerated content, it is little surprise that cartoons so often “offend” others. Of course, “offence” is wholly subjective and informed as much by personal taste as societal mores and local customs. First and foremost, authoritarians and their agents and adherents will take exception to cartoonists that contradict or pick apart their projections of power.
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| Bonil, (Ecuador) |
Hence, overarching all that follows in this report, is the prevalence and consequence of CENSORSHIP.
(there is more..)
