The Charlie Hebdo shootings raised questions as to how cartoonists determine which topics are fair game for mockery, write Jenn Burleson Mackay and Michael A. Horning, both of Virginia Tech University. They explore the reactions and ethics positions of political cartoonists following the shootings. 

Study shows that 74 percent of the participants reported that they drew a cartoon in response to the shootings. The cartoons illustrated free speech, cartoonists, pencils and pens, or violence following the shootings.

The article “Responding to Charlie Hebdo Exploring political cartoonists’ reactions and ethics positions following the attacks” was published online by Journalism Practice. It is available here.

Picture: solidarité by François Lacroix, licence: CC BY-ND 2.0