Throughout his long tenure at The Palm Beach Post, Tony Doris never avoided controversial topics. For over 20 years, the 67-year-old journalist investigated local government and city affairs in West Palm Beach, Florida, most recently serving as the editorial page editor.
However, he never anticipated that a cartoon would lead to the end of his career at the paper.
Last month, Gannett, the largest newspaper company in the U.S. and the owner of The Palm Beach Post, terminated Doris after he chose to publish a cartoon about the Gaza war. According to Doris, the cartoon sparked a backlash in Palm Beach, including criticism from a local Jewish organization that labeled it antisemitic, prompting a swift reaction from Gannett's senior editors.
Doris, who described himself as a Jewish supporter of Israel, selected the cartoon for a print edition in late January. Created by a syndicated cartoonist, it depicted two Israeli soldiers rescuing a hostage held by Hamas, with the caption "Some Israeli hostages are home after over a year of merciless war." One soldier says, "Watch your step," as they walk past a pile of bodies labeled "over 40,000 Palestinians killed."
In an interview last week with the NY Times, Doris defended the cartoon as antiwar rather than antisemitic, arguing that Gannett's senior editors lacked the courage to support their journalists. "They're afraid of their shadow," he said, suggesting that the incident reflected a "misunderstanding or failure to engage with the mission of an editorial page."
Gannett responded in a statement, saying the cartoon "did not meet our standards" and "would not have been published if the proper protocols were followed," though it did not specify those protocols or address Mr. Doris's firing, citing confidentiality. Lark-Marie Antón, a spokeswoman for The Palm Beach Post, added, "We sincerely regret the error and have taken appropriate action to prevent this from happening again."
No comments:
Post a Comment