Rupert Murdock

Letters bag

Hi Graeme,

Regarding the ‘beached whale cartoon,’ the guys in your little brick ‘Spec house’ must be suffering from amnesia to forget about our own Rupert Murdoch…in Conrad ‘The Con’ Black. Seems to me, the whale was seeking refuge to the former home (The Spectator) of another disgraced ‘Press Baron.’ My point, corruption is everywhere, and contrary to your caption… we are all affected in one form or another.

P. Monson
Hamilton

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Dear P.

I’ve done my fair share of Conrad Black cartoons. Yesterday’s was my first Rupert Murdock cartoon ever.

The tabloid/phone hacking drama is certainly fascinating to watch for some people here in Hamilton, but I’m guessing a fair number of the Spec’s readers are more interested in subjects closer to home. While I felt compelled to draw something on the huge issue I wanted to connect it to Canada somehow. My cartoon is not the best execution the building represents Canada’s Press, not just the Spec — and I’m being facetious with what I stated in the caption. Canadian journalists have already done some naval gazing since the story hit and while it may be in defense or pointing fingers at the competition, this Summer’s newspapers will likely spill some ink explaining practices while hoping to build trust from the readers. In the meantime, I think the stink from a rotting tabloid whale accurately illustrates some notions of how the events unraveling in London may have an effect on news media here.

I hope this helps to clarify,

Regards,

Graeme MacKay
Editorial Cartoonist