A pair of local papers will no longer run a popular comic strip after its author made racist comments.
Over the weekend, both The Morning Call and The Express-Times announced that they will cease running the syndicated comic strip “Dilbert” after its creator, Scott Adams, made racist comments on a YouTube livestream.
Last week, in response to a public opinion poll by the conservative-learning Rasmussen Reports, Adams called Black people members of a “hate group,” and said white people should “get away” from them, among other comments.
In an article published Sunday, The Morning Call’s Editor-in-chief Mike Miorelli said Adams’ comments crossed a line, and called them “mean-spirited” and “racist.”
He added that The Morning Call, “will not tolerate such hate and will certainly not endorse it.”
Similarly, Christopher Kelly, Vice President of Content for NJ Advance Media said in an editor’s note Saturday that the publisher would cease running “Dilbert” on its websites and in its affiliated newspapers, including lehighvalleylive.com and The Express-Times.
Kelly said Adams’ comments were “far beyond the pale of what we consider appropriate speech,” and that as a news organization, “we cannot and will not provide a forum for those who engage in such rhetoric.”
Miorelli and Kelly said “Dilbert” may run in their papers for several more days due to production deadlines or advance runs, but added that both organizations are working to identify replacement comic strips.
According to published reports, “Dilbert” has been dropped by hundreds of papers including the USA Today Network, The Washington Post, The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times.
(Original air-date: 2/27/23)
