Long Island’s daily newspaper, Newsday, issued an apology on Sunday after facing a wave of backlash over a political cartoon depicting the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.The cartoon, which ran in Saturday’s edition, showed an empty chair stained with blood under a tent labelled “Charlie Kirk” and “Prove Me Wrong,” with an arrow pointing to the seat reading “Turning Point USA,” the nonprofit Kirk co-founded.The illustration, drawn by Pulitzer Prize finalist Chip Bok, was quickly condemned by local leaders and readers as “vile” and “insensitive.”
Political outrage over the cartoon
“This isn’t journalism. It’s a reckless, partisan attack that blames the victim, silences free speech, and shames everything this country should stand for,” Suffolk county Republican party chairman Jesse Garcia said in a blistering statement.Garcia demanded that Newsday pull the cartoon from all platforms, end Bok’s syndication contract, and formally apologise to Kirk’s family and subscribers. He also urged readers and advertisers to boycott the paper until action was taken.“Until these actions are taken, we call on advertisers and subscribers to boycott Newsday. Do not support a publication that normalises hate and endangers lives,” Garcia said.Nassau county executive Bruce Blakeman also slammed the cartoon, calling it “so over the top despicable” that it should end readers’ trust in the outlet.“The unconscionable cartoon in Newsday trivialising the assassination of Charlie Kirk is so over the top despicable that it is shocking even for the majority of us who realised long ago that Newsday abandoned any pretension of fairness,” Blakeman wrote in a Facebook post. “Cancel Newsday!”
Paper issues apology
In a statement, Newsday admitted the cartoon should not have been published. “The image was syndicated and not created by our staff, but we recognise it was inappropriate and insensitive. We regret the error and apologise to our readers and to the family of Charlie Kirk,” the paper said.Bok, whose work has appeared in the Chicago Tribune, Washington Post, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Time, and Newsweek, was not directly employed by Newsday, according to the paper. The cartoon had been purchased through a syndication service.Kirk, 31, was shot and killed last week while speaking at Utah Valley University during a Turning Point USA event. Tyler Robinson, 22, was arrested following a 33-hour manhunt and remains in custody under “special watch” while undergoing a mental health evaluation.