Ann Telnaes
Cartoonist Ann Telnaes won the Pulitzer Prize for illustrated reporting and commentary on Monday, months after she resigned from The Washington Post over the paper reportedly censoring a cartoon critical of Post owner Jeff Bezos’ relationship with President Donald Trump.
The Pulitzer Prizes are considered the highest award in journalism. In its citation, the Pulitzer committee credited Telnaes for “delivering piercing commentary on powerful people and institutions with deftness, creativity—and a fearlessness that led to her departure from the news organization after 17 years.” Telnaes previously won the award in 2001.
“In a time when the free press is under attack by autocrats in their quest to silence dissent, editorial cartoons and satire are essential for a democracy to survive and thrive,” Telnaes said in a statement. “I’m honored to receive this award and encourage everyone to support their local cartoonist.”
Telnaes left the paper in January after a cartoon she drew was declined for publication by the Post’s editorial page. The sketch depicted Bezos, Mickey Mouse (Disney owns ABC), Meta head Mark Zuckerberg, Los Angeles Times owner Patrick Soon-Shiong, and Sam Altman of OpenAI bowing to Trump and offering him money.
Days after the incident, Bezos was among those with front row seats to Trump’s inauguration—an event to which he reportedly donated funds..
Telnaes’ departure was part of a steady stream of figures leaving the paper at the end of 2024 and early this year. Staffers quit after Bezos spiked an endorsement of Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris, and columnists Ruth Marcus and Jennifer Rubin.
Rubin also quit over the Post’s capitulations to Trump.
Bezos has not publicly opposed Trump’s policies like tariffs, even while arguing that the newspaper’s editorial line would openly support “free markets and personal liberties.”
Trump has expressed delight that Bezos is now in his corner. In a March interview, Trump hailed Bezos for “trying to do a real job” in changing the editorial tone at the paper.
As the Trump administration has made a concerted effort to warp press access at the White House in favor of outlets willing to regurgitate right-wing propaganda—or, in the case of the Post, not push back too hard against it—figures like Telnaes have continued to speak out.
Telnaes now operates a Substack for her cartoons, with over 98,000 subscribers. Thousands of people will still see the award-winning work that didn’t bow to Trump—they just won’t see it in The Washington Post anymore.
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