Nowadays, publishing press cartoons online has become a way of life for the profession and there is probably not a single cartoon that is not published in an online newspaper or on social media. Some cartoonists have even started their careers online. According to the cartoonists, this increases their visibility but also creates new challenges for the profession, whether it is a question of remuneration, recovery of cartoons, non-respect of property rights, threats, lawsuits, etc.
Thanks to the financial support of the Global Media Defence Fund (GMDF) administered by UNESCO and the Isocrates Foundation, Cartooning for Peace starts a new project whose objective is to encourage the sharing of experience and dialogue about the challenges that accompany the publication of press cartoons online in order to draw lessons and recommendations.
This 18-month project builds on the previous project “Support for the legal protection of press cartoonists”, also funded by the GMDF.
Based on a survey and analysis of emblematic cases by legal experts, Cartooning for Peace builds a typology of cases that feeds into the creation of a repertoire of “textbook cases” and suggestions for responses, and also wishes to provide useful contacts and resources for press cartoonists. Cartooning for Peace also holds roundtables*, the discussions of which are translated into a report.
* Look back on the roundtable discussion “Press cartoons in the face of digital challenges: what protection for their authors?” organised in the framework of the European Journalism Conference (replay available).
* Look back on the roundtable discussion “Inform, disinform, fight? Press cartoons and democracy in the digital age” organised in the framework of the International Journalism Festival.
* Look back on the roundtable discussion “The digital age of cartooning: humour and satire on the World Wild Net” organised in the framework of the European Cartoon Award.
* Look back on the roundtable discussion “Cartoonist: an endangered profession” organised in the framework of the World Forum for Democracy (replay available), where Cartooning for Peace released its report (see below).
* Look back on the roundtable discussion between Aseem Trivedi (India) and Lectrr (Belgium) where Cartooning for Peace presents its report (see below).
A report on the situation of threatened cartoonists around the world: “Cartoonists on the line” is published in the framework of the project in November 2023.
A podcast series: “Tough Laugh x Tough Law” – about editorial cartoonists and the dangers they face to make us laugh – and think, is also implemented in the framework of this project from December 2023 to March 2024.
Podcast the third episode – in French – which looks back on Boníl (Ecuador) experience with the law:
Cartoon: Osama Hajjaj (Jordan)
