New Yorker's Obama cover sparks outrage

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Controversy surrounds a cartoon on the cover of the latest issue of The New Yorker magazine, which portrays United States Presidential contender Barack Obama and his wife Michelle as terrorists.

In the cartoon, Obama dons a robe and turban, while Michelle is dressed in fatigues and carries a gun. The two are in the Oval Office giving each other a fist bump, a greeting which one Fox News Channel commentator has previously called a "terrorist fist jab", while an American flag burns in the fireplace in the background.

The New Yorker indicated that Barry Blitt's cartoon was intended to lampoon "the use of scare tactics and misinformation in the Presidential election to derail Barack Obama’s campaign." Editor David Remnick noted that satire is a useful tool in bringing sensitive issues to people's attention.

Statements from both Obama's campaign office and that of prospective Republican candidate John McCain, however, have condemned the cover as "tasteless and offensive".

The publication continues to defend its position that the cover is a work of satire.

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Sources

"Obama campaign says New Yorker cartoon goes too far" — CBC News, July 14, 2008
"Obama campaign outraged by New Yorker cover" — Agence France-Presse, July 14, 2008
"New Yorker Obama Cover Sparks Uproar" — CBS News, July 14, 2008
Press Release: "In this week’s New Yorker" — The New Yorker, July 13, 2008

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Articles presented on Wikinews reflect the specific time at which they were written and published, and do not attempt to encompass events or knowledge which occur or become known after their publication.

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Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections.

Note that some listed sources or external links may no longer be available online due to age.