One of our recently published editorial cartoons from our ongoing Real Life series received a fair amount of criticism from the State Press readership.
Specifically, readers took issue with the portrayal of eating habits during the holiday season, stating that the cartoon was insensitive to those with eating disorders.
The cartoon, part of graphic artist Hannah Franklin’s own series, is intended to act as a personal narrative and often uses hyperbole and self-deprecation as a form of personal expression.
Franklin often draws from her own real-life experiences for her series, and the character shown in the illustrations is her representation of herself. She and The State Press, however, regret the lack of consideration in the cartoon for others’ experiences.
It wasn’t hers or The State Press’s intent to marginalize those with eating disorders, and we must strive to do a better job of thinking about these issues and topics as well as how that impacts how we present our content.
Thank you for bringing your concerns to our attention, and we appreciate your continued feedback.
Stella Atzenweiler
Reach the multimedia director at multimedia.statepress@gmail.com.
