The Dilbert debate: Were newspapers right to 'cancel' the cartoon?

The sharpest opinions on the debate from around the web

Newspaper.
(Image credit: Illustrated | Gettyimages)

The comic strip Dilbert saw its syndication plummet after hundreds of newspapers dropped the satirical office cartoon due to racially charged comments made by its creator, Scott Adams. The controversy ignited during an episode of Adams' livestreamed YouTube show, when he called Black people a "hate group" and said that "the best advice I would give to white people is to get the hell away from Black people, just get the f--k away ... because there is no fixing this."

Within a day of Adams' comments, newspapers and media outlets across the United States were cutting ties with Dilbert. Gannett, which publishes newspapers such as USA Today, the Detroit Free Press, Austin American-Statesman, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, and more than 300 others, said Adams' views "do not align with our editorial or business values as an organization." Gannett was joined by The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, and dozens more.

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Justin Klawans, The Week US

 Justin Klawans has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022. He began his career covering local news before joining Newsweek as a breaking news reporter, where he wrote about politics, national and global affairs, business, crime, sports, film, television and other Hollywood news. Justin has also freelanced for outlets including Collider and United Press International.