Comics Reporter carries an article about Reporters Sans Frontieres and their annual report which includes their freedom of Worldwide Press Freedom Index (available as a PDF). Obviously freedom of the presses, speech and expression are subjects pretty close to the hearts of booksellers, publishers and readers alike at the best of times, but this year there is an added comics dimension since it seems the aftermath of the Danish cartoons of the Prophet which sparked such reasoned debate (such as ‘cut off the cartoonist’s heads’) have had a huge impact on the index, with Denmark sliding from a shared number one position to nineteen. Coming so soon after the debacle of some wanting graphic novels like Blankets pulled from their local library it just goes to show what we’re always saying: comics are important. Jean-François Julliard, the news editor of RSF observed that however people felt about the issue of the Danish cartoons it did get people talking about freedom of expression, “and making an issue of press freedom can only benefit us all”. Here, here.
Tue, Oct 24, 2006
Comics and cartoons, News