The West Australian issues front-page apology for publishing ‘abhorrent’ racist cartoon
Seven West Media newspaper The West Australian has issued a front-page apology for publishing a racist cartoon in Monday’s edition that the editor-in-chief has called “abhorrent”.
The Modesty Blaise cartoon strip was written in 1981, and features racial stereotypes and slurs about First Nations people. It was published because a third-party agency composes the newspaper’s comics page through an automated process, which was not checked.
The West Australian conducted a review into the “mistake”, has re-established an in-house checking process to “ensure this type of offensive material is not published again”, and will no longer publish Modesty Blaise cartoons.
The problem here is with the passage of time, the series dates back to the 1960s when the term ‘Black Tracker’ was used to describe an Aboriginal person who was better equipped than the European when it came to tracking or following a trail in rough country. There was never any racial slur intended in the use of this term, and these Aboriginal people were responsible for finding lost travellers and missing persons on may occasions.
The opening comment is a worry: “Four men and an Aborigine” That is clearly either five men or four men and an Aboriginal woman. The abbreviation “Abo” is in keeping with the Australian habit of shortening any longish words, particularly nouns. Aussie, Brit, Jap, Yank were all used (still are in part) to shorten the original word, not to infer racial hatred or slur.
There’s no problem with the passage of time. Society has grown, evolved and moved in a direction where these phrases are not okay anymore. So.. let’s not.
It’s not a ‘oh but it was okay back then’ or ‘oh but it wasn’t intended to be racist’
it’s just. these phrases are remnants of the past. And they don’t belong here anymore. That’s it. End of story.
Thank you for your comments, but you have just said exactly what I said in another way. You began by saying “no..sorry richard There’s no problem with the passage of time” and then launched into the changes that have occurred with the passage of time.
I was relating my opinions to the reprinted comic strip which has replicated the old fashioned expressions of the 1960s. I was discussing intent and the passage of time, not demanding that the phrases be retained in modern usage.
Congratulations The West. Great to see a meaningful and sincre apology. Well done.
You have to put a like under and recognise the past to secure and improve the future, reinterpreting the past doesn’t help. Storm in a tea cup, Skippy is next!
Hello newspaper editors?! Anyone home?!!
To The Editor
First and foremost, this comic strip should have been nipped in the bud if the Editor was doing his Job, prior to publication. This particular comic strip is a repeat of days long gone and slipped through the network undetected by the Editor who wasn’t doing his job and should take it on the chin and not pass the buck on the Third Party Agency that composes the comic strip.
I have been subscribing to The West Australian for over 50 years and in recent times considered cancelling my subscription, but haven’t done so, as I enjoyed the Modesty Blaise comic strip so much, however, due to what has transpired, I am seriously considering cancelling the West!