Written by Katie Feinauer, Mary Connors, Corinne Lingard and Kris Hyde
After reviewing sixteen political cartoons, foreign and domestic, relating to the issue of same-sex marriage we have found the negative cartoons focus heavily on President Obama’s handling of the issue and whether or not marriage should be defined through religious means. We have also found the positive cartoons address the issue of same-sex marriage, but they often address the issue in a way that frames traditional marriage supporters as bigoted, closed-minded people.
Negative cartoons were less prevalent in the media which is represented in our overall total negative projects. Negative cartoons were cartoons where President Obama was framed as the serpent from the Garden of Eden, also seen as the great tempter of men that brought about the fall of men. Other negative cartoons made President Obama look like a liar and one cartoon made the President appear to be a preacher who had no authority from God, and thus was acting against His will. These cartoons made the audience feel they cannot trust President Obama and religious Americans could feel they have to choose between their faith and their loyalty to the President based on the framing of these cartoons. As a result these cartoons create a divide between President Obama and the American people.
Mostly postive cartoons were found on the issue of same-sex marriage which is represented by the ten to six ratio chosen in the project. The cartoons that were positively framed toward same-sex marriage referred to opponents as irrational individuals whose only argument is based on zealous personal or political beliefs . Positive framing of gay marriage is just negative framing of traditional marriage supporters. For example, the cartoon of Frankenstein made people with opposing views look inhumane and monstrous in their political views. Another example is comparing the issue of same-sex marriage to traditionally rejected ideas such as slavery and thereby sending a subliminal message that those who stand against marriage equality would be remembered as wrong being on the wrong side of history. Same-sex marriage is viewed as the accepted ideal by these cartoons.
Images within newspapers and editorial cartoons specifically are not meant to be analyzed in-depth as they have been here. Because of this, cartoons and images can represent opposing, obscure views to the public and they will not realize what they are being told. The Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics (1996) states, “Make certain that headlines, news teases and promotional material, photos, video, audio, graphics, sound bites and quotations do not misrepresent. They should not oversimplify or highlight incidents out of context. Never distort the content of news photos or video. Image enhancement for technical clarity is always permissible. Label montages and photo illustrations.”
The statement above does not always apply to cartoonist. However, some cartoonists do are considered to be journalists. “In my opinion, cartoonists are as much journalists as columnists or editorial writers. They certainly don’t have all the restrictions on them regarding opinion. But when it comes to intellectual honesty, they should be as upstanding as all other journalists,” said Kelly McBride, who is a journalist for Poynter.(Cavna M.(2011,December) Trying to define the ethics which cartoonists have or should have can be difficult. Are cartoonists required to, “Seek Truth and Report It” as well as “Minimize Harm,” ? Or are cartoonists not held to a standard of professionalism by the public who supports them?
One answer to this question comes from the debate surrounding the Mohammed cartoons of September 2005 (Wallis, 2007). Though meant to be funny, these cartoons sparked anger, hatred and riots in some middle-eastern countries (Wallis, 2007). The Society of Professional Journalists released a statement on February 7, 2006 stating, ” The Society of Professional Journalists is troubled by the insensitivity of Danish cartoons that depict the Islamic prophet Muhammad. The Society also denounces the violence that has ensued as a result of protests against the cartoons’ publication” (Danish Cartoon Coverage Should Be Guided By SPJ Code of Ethics, 2006). The Press release then went on to encourage journalists to review the SPJ code of ethics more carefully when dealing with sensitive topics in the future (Danish Cartoon Coverage Should Be Guided By SPJ Code of Ethics, 2006).
Even though political cartoons don’t follow a code of ethics, they play a vital and significant role in the media. Political cartoons have historically had the ability to spark emotion and discussion in ways that other mediums have not. They boldly call attention to subjects that other journalists shirk from in a way that gives meaning to a topic.
Why can't we be friends? 