I have never been a political fellow, meaning I have never given political cartoons a look, or even a thought. Nonetheless, I was excited to hear from Martin Rowson, political cartoonist for The Guardian, because of the prestige of the paper for which he works. I mentioned in my last reflection for British Mass Media my intentions to stay updated through the BBC; I have kept my promise a week into it. Through podcasts and news hours, I have become more aware of my worldly surroundings. Because of this and Martin Rowson’s talk, I believe I have found a newfound appreciation for political cartoons and news sources in general.
I was thankful for the thorough political cartoon background Martin gave us before diving into his own works. He explained the role of laughter in our lives, and how we would fall into an existential crisis without it. This fact alone allowed for trailblazers, such as William Hogarth, to begin exploring the art of political cartoons. There were, and still are, many heavy topics which necessitates a form of light-heartedness to accompany them. This art combines today’s problems with humor and creativity. It truly takes some special people to come up with the idea and take it to pen and paper on a daily basis. In fact, Martin laid out the pillars for political cartoonists: art, humor and caricature. The (not so simple) formula for success.
Rowson is one of the most successful at balancing this formula, from his time at The Gay Hussar drawing politicians and celebrities to his current work at The Guardian. He has figured out how to combine drawing and text, emphasizing how political cartoons are not simply illustrations. However, he uses this power to strike a nerve among people; at least one person, and usually many more, is going to be upset at what he draws each day. However, he does hold himself to a standard which I find admirable- only attack people with more power than he, and only attack them for the basis on which they think.
Rowson has freedom in most of which he does. There have been few instances in which his idea or cartoon itself has been disapproved of. In fact, he even made fun of Stephen Hawking in a life threatening situation, which put his own life in danger from Hawking supporters. To these fans, Hawking replied by buying the original copy. This was by far my favorite story Rowson told. However, the scenarios in which Rowson does risk his life are a bit scary. He once considered creating a cartoon about the murders of political cartoonists by a small group of people of Muslim faith, which would have set a target on him. However, he was told not to by his editors, which was likely for the better. Although Rowson has a large sense of autonomy, the paper occasionally decides what is reasonable and what crosses a line, whether for safety or other issues.
The paper plays a major role in the media and the daily life of UK citizens. It is true that newspaper circulation has greatly diminished because of the rise of digital media, but it continues to be a large source of information for many. I have taken to reading the Metro and the Evening Standard on nearly every Tube ride, and it is the most informed I have been on current events in a while. My family used to get the local newspaper until costs began to rise, and we decided to switch over to digital media. However, I have rarely taken advantage of the resources on my device; therefore, these free papers are an outlet for me to stay informed.
With the recent Russian invasion of Ukraine, I have kept an even keener eye out for news articles. In addition to the Metro and Evening Standard, I decided to read an article from The Guardian titled “Putin signals escalation as he puts Russia’s nuclear force on high alert.”
Although The Guardian is a left-leaning source, I have found that all the papers, regardless of political ties, have reported in the same manner regarding this crisis. This specific article explained how Putin’s war has not gone as quickly or smoothly as he had hoped, forcing him to resort to the threat of nuclear warfare. Regardless of whether or not this is an empty threat, it has brought increasing concern for the implications of this invasion. Putin is threatening the West from interference; in return, the West refuses to back down and continues to impose sanctions on Russia which could greatly endanger their economy. Additionally, equipment and supplies will be sent to Ukraine from various countries as they continue to resist Putin’s invasion; the EU is one such organization that has promised weapon deliverance to Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian cities have been continually bombed and hundreds of citizens have been killed while thousands other have fled their homes. Despite sanctions and most of the world condemning Russia, the invasion continues on. The Guardian has echoed other articles I have read, which often state President Biden’s words before any other countries' leaders- even Boris Johnson’s. I have found that the two free papers on the Tube suffice in providing information and I will continue to read these in my time here. Still, I enjoyed Rowson’s visit as a guest speaker and he largely contributed to my choice of The Guardian as a third read.
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