Charlie Kirk cartoon: Newsday apologizes after Charlie Kirk cartoon sparks outrage and boycott calls

On Sunday, Newsday, a newspaper from Long Island, apologized after many people got angry about a political cartoon it published. The cartoon was about Charlie Kirk’s killing. It showed an empty chair with blood on it, under a tent. The chair had the labels “Charlie Kirk” and “Prove Me Wrong.” There was also an arrow pointing to “Turning Point USA,” the conservative group Kirk co-founded, say reports.

The cartoon creator, Chip Bok, who drew Charlie Kirk’s killing image. A Pulitzer Prize finalist in 1997, Chip Bok is a known quantity in journalism world and has even given his brush to Dave Barry novels along with regularly plying his trade for famed publications such as Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, Time, Washington Post, New York Times, and Newsweek, reports said.

Anger over Charlie Kirk’s cartoon

The cartoon caused immediate anger on Long Island. People called it “vile” and “insensitive”. Jesse Garcia, chairman of the Suffolk County Republican Party, criticized Newsday. He said the paper “crossed a line” and that the cartoon mocked tragedy, caused division, and encouraged political violence. He called it a “reckless, partisan attack” and said it silenced free speech, as reported by New York Post.
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Newsday cartoon on Charlie Kirk sparks apology, boycott

Garcia demanded that Newsday apologize to Charlie Kirk’s family and its readers, delete the cartoon from all platforms, and end Chip Bok’s contract. He also urged Americans, advertisers, and subscribers to boycott the newspaper because it “normalizes hate and endangers lives”, as per the reports.

Newsday told The NY Post that Chip Bok is not a staff member. The cartoon was syndicated, meaning it was purchased or obtained from Bok and not made by Newsday employees. Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman also criticized the newspaper. In a Facebook post, he called the cartoon “unconscionable” and “over the top despicable” and said it was unacceptable.
Newsday said the cartoon “suggests that Kirk’s assassination might be a turning point for healing the nation’s divide,” because it used the name of Kirk’s group, Turning Point USA, and referenced his Utah event “Prove Me Wrong.” The newspaper admitted that the imagery was inappropriate and said it should never have been published in Newsday, as stated by the Newsday statement.

FAQs

Q1. Why did Newsday apologize for the Charlie Kirk cartoon?
Newsday apologized after people criticized a cartoon about Charlie Kirk’s killing as “vile” and “insensitive.”
Q2. Who created the controversial Charlie Kirk cartoon?
The cartoon was created by Chip Bok, a Pulitzer Prize finalist and syndicated illustrator, not a Newsday staff member.