By: Shawn Moynihan Rupert Murdoch, chairman of News Corp., finally weighed in on the controversy surrounding the dead-chimp cartoon in the New York Post by offering an apology on the paper?s Web site early this morning.
The apology, posted at 2:22 a.m., addresses the fallout from a cartoon many considered racist, and a dig at President Obama.
"Last week, we made a mistake. We ran a cartoon that offended many people. Today I want to personally apologize to any reader who felt offended, and even insulted,? Murdoch writes. "As the chairman of the New York Post, I am ultimately responsible for what is printed in its pages. The buck stops with me.?
Murdoch?s mea culpa delivers a far different message than the Post?s terse initial statement, titled "That Cartoon," on Feb. 19, which read, in part: ? Wednesday's Page Six cartoon -- caricaturing Monday's police shooting of a chimpanzee in Connecticut -- has created considerable controversy. It shows two police officers standing over the chimp's body: "They'll have to find someone else to write the next stimulus bill," one officer says. It was meant to mock an ineptly written federal stimulus bill. Period.?
Murdoch adds that he has since reached out to those offended: "Over the past couple of days, I have spoken to a number of people and I now better understand the hurt this cartoon has caused. At the same time, I have had conversations with Post editors about the situation and I can assure you --- without a doubt -- that the only intent of that cartoon was to mock a badly written piece of legislation. It was not meant to be racist, but unfortunately, it was interpreted by many as such.?
This past weekend, Benjamin Todd Jealous, president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, called on the tabloid to remove editor-in-chief Col Allan, as well as longtime cartoonist Sean Delonas. He also urged readers to boycott the New York Post.
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