Political Cartoon

political cartoon: William Pitt, the Younger

political cartoon, a drawing (often including caricature) made for the purpose of conveying editorial commentary on politics, politicians, and current events. Such cartoons play a role in the political discourse of a society that provides for freedom of speech and of the press. They are a primarily opinion-oriented medium and can generally be found on the editorial pages of newspapers and other journalistic outlets, whether in print or electronic form. Their subject matter is usually that of current and newsworthy political issues, and, in order for them to be understood, they require that readers possess some basic background knowledge about their subject matter, ideally that provided by the medium in which they are published.

political cartoon: siege of Paris

A political cartoon is also an artistic vehicle characterized by both metaphorical and satirical language. It may point out the contexts, problems, and discrepancies of a political situation. Although a drawing reflects a cartoonist’s judgment and point of view and the visual commentary often exaggerates circumstances, responsible editorial standards do not allow the artist to alter facts. During the process of rendering opinions into such a visual form, many artistic decisions (regarding symbols, allegories, techniques, composition, and so forth) must be made. While doing so, the cartoonist must keep in mind whether the audience will be able to understand the editorial cartoon. When successful, political cartoons can fulfill an important criticizing and controlling function in society. In addition, political cartoons can encourage the process of opinion formation and decision making as well as provide entertaining perspectives on the news.