Cartoons to woo younger readers.

Cartoonists have received some good pro-active coverage in today's The Australian. Simon Canning begins his article

"CARTOONISTS may have played a crucial role in the Australian newspaper industry - and they may have been lauded by John Hartigan, chairman and chief executive of News Limited (publisher of The Australian) at an exhibition opening several weeks ago - but the scribblers fear they are being slowly squeezed out of existence.

Nevertheless, they believe cartoons could be the key to luring younger readers back to newspapers."

He goes on to say ...

"Freelance cartoonist is becoming a code for unemployed," Panozzo says. This is in sharp contrast to a generation ago.

"If you look back to the 1940s and 50s, when Ginger Meggs changed papers he took 80,000 readers with him ...

Panozzo says it is difficult to pinpoint when the support for cartooning in all its forms started to decline, but he agrees with Broelman that it has been a result of editorial choices rather than the public falling out of love with cartoons.

"People have a lot of affection and appreciation for cartoonists," he adds.

"I find it annoying that some editors with such control are so ignorant of the power of the cartoon."

The last paragraph:

"I would challenge newspapers to put more effort and resources into cartoons," he says. "I think they are one way to get new readers into newspapers. It will not only be good for cartoonists, it will be good for papers."

On that note, CLAPCLAP clappity CLAPCLAP (that's a round of applause) to Age editors Roslyn Guy and Kylie Northover for their good sense in hiring ...me. Ahem.

To read the full article quoted above visit

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/features/humour-can-save-the-daily/story-e6frg6z6-1225816052212