Freedom of the press also apparently includes the right to suppress news you do not want anyone to hear. This, however, is astounding: The Age cartoonist Michael Leunig axed after anti-Dan Andrews cartoon. The story is from The Oz.
“Gay feels this type of cartoon is not in line with public sentiment, and The Age’s readership, who it does seem are largely in favour of the Andrews Covid narrative. But my job is to challenge the status quo, and that has always been the job of the cartoonist.”
That is, Age readers refuse ever to see or read anything that contradicts what they already prefer to believe. It is obviously the editor’s responsibility to ensure this never happens. Leunig, however, has a different view.
“If what Gay says is right, I don’t much want to work for the sorts of readers who are so censorious. It seems that at The Age in particular, you can’t go near the Covid story except in a way that’s supportive of the Victorian government’s handling of it. And if you’re not supportive, that’s reason enough for you to be cancelled.”
Speaking of Dan Andrews, and also from The Oz.
Good thing he doesn’t work for The Age.
A black pill moment for Leunig?
There’s blood in that syringe.
It wasn’t be long now before Pravda on the Yarra is no more. A completely self inflicted fatal wound.
And yet, they never seem to learn.
No conservative was ever as censorious as the post-liberal “progressive”.
Also worthy of note that Peter Hitchens recently stopped writing for a publisher after they tried to censor him. I’m not aware of the details but he mentioned it in passing in a recent column.
I would never have expected that line of thought from Leunig. Will wonders never cease?
They nearly fired Leunig years ago over a cartoon that suggested it might be better for women to stay at home with their babies, rather than shipping them off to daycare in order to pursue their careers. Leunig is hard to classify. Probably everyone who knows his work can think of cartoons he has done with which they agree, and others with which they violently disagree.
Likewise John Spooner who was one of the Age’s treasures until he started questioning the climate change myth and had to be let go.
I had to read this in Breitbart, but NZ intends to have two classes of citizen. I wonder when Chairman Dan intends to formally follow?
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2021/10/24/new-zealand-prime-minister-admits-she-wants-create-two-classes-citizens-based-vaccination-status/
Or, as Krishnamurti put it:
” It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.”
Petition to reverse the ban on ivermectin
https://www.aph.gov.au/e-petitions/petition/EN3364/
Closes 27th
I think everyone is misunderstanding The Age’s concern over this cartoon. Sure its “anti-vax” but I’m betting what really got up the Age’s nose was that it is anti-China. Any reference to the Tiananmen Square “incident” would not go down well with the Age or its Belt and Road partners. That photograph is an absolute no-no.
Kevin’07 and some bird called Rigg have recently started a totes grassroots movement for a RRrrrroyal Commission into “The Murdoch Monopoly”.
Were they getting ahead of themselves?
I’m also quite skeptical of any arrrtist who says “my job is to fight The Man”, or anything along the lines of “my job is to be commercially unviable”.
Well, Leunig, you are employed by “the man” to help sell news content. By all means, take on Nein for making your position untenable, breach of contract, workplace bullying etc.
But, look back upon “your job” as staying in the lane for your employer. Some are tighter than others.
And, break out on your own, like Scott Adams of Dilbert fame has, or towards another feildof satire, South Park. . They’ve’s stuck their necks out more and grown in stature.
“…Peter Hitchens recently stopped writing for a publisher…”
Perhaps we need an equivalent to sub-stack here?
Where independent writers get their own individual subscribers, and live and die by their ability to “pull a crowd” as it were. A couple of big names, pre-paid to write whatever they want and draw people to want to look at the site in general.
The first thing I thought when I saw that cartoon was that it is magnificent. (Earlier in the year, he drew another great cartoon that showed because of the health regime, his character slowly being made into a prisoner – beginning with fear, then being masked, then gagged, then in handcuffs, then on his knees and made to be obedient and finally, with mask, gag, handcuffs and on his knees, suffering from depression).
I have a friend who loves Leunig – and the SMH – not sure how she’ll react; stay with the Herald and denounce Leunig or go the opposite. This most definitely has the potential to be a red pill for her!
I can’t believe even Leunig would get cancelled. The censoriousness knows no bounds.
Meme worthy.
It now seems that there is nothing either Left wing or Right wing about the lockdown lovers.
It is uncharitable and condescending elitism at its ugliest.