The Sydney Morning Herald apologized for a nasty cartoon that had Australia’s Jewish community in an uproar. Cartoonist Glen Le Lievre’s Twitter explanations notwithstanding, the SMH removed the drawing, which illustrated Mike Carlton’s recent column.
The Herald deeply regretted the upset the image had caused, but felt – not least because the cartoonist lacked any intent and that actual photographs influenced the setting and physical depiction of the character in the cartoon – that no racial vilification had occurred.
However, this newspaper accepts that this position was too simplistic and ignored the use of religious symbols.
The Herald now appreciates that, in using the Star of David and the kippah in the cartoon, the newspaper invoked an inappropriate element of religion, rather than nationhood, and made a serious error of judgment.
It was wrong to publish the cartoon in its original form.
We apologise unreservedly for this lapse, and the anguish and distress that has been caused.
See the full apology.
Carlton’s column was critiqued by Emily Gian in a special guest post for HonestReporting.
