A Pulitzer Prize winner for editorial cartooning in 1994 and 2007, Michael Ramirez, author of “Everyone has the Right to my Opinion,” spoke in Ahmanson 1000 about the failings of mainstream media and how editorial cartoons shape American politics. Currently, Ramirez is the cartoonist and co-editor for Investor’s Business Daily.
The event, which was hosted by the LMU College Republicans, drew a small crowd of students and alumni of about 25 people.
Ramirez humorously described his profession as a hybrid between Edward R. Morrow, Ted Koppel and the Son of Sam.
“We are here to protect and inform the public, to protect them from ‘the champions of the status quo’ and assorted predators of society, like Congress,” Ramirez explained.
Ramirez blamed the media and the current administration for brainwashing the American people and not presenting both sides of the argument.
“It’s important to view the issues at the broadest reference plane. If you believe in something, read the opposite of it. I think what that does is it reinforces your beliefs and confirms why you believe it. I believe it’s important to understand all sides of the issues, so you can know thy enemy,” said Ramirez.
Ramirez described the distinction between subjective news reporting and opinionated editorial cartoons.
“A reporter’s job is supposed to be the conveyor of fact, to point out the injustices of the world and to wound the perpetrators of those injustices with the truth.”
“Editorial cartoonists just go back and shoot the wounded,” he continued.
Ramirez stated his frustration with people who call him after a cartoon has been run and say “you’re way too opinionated,” to which he replies, “That’s kind of why I’m on the opinion page.”
Ramirez criticized mainstream media for doing an awful job at subjective reporting.
“Journalists actually have lower approval ratings than politicians and, when you think about Nancy Pelosi, that’s a pretty large plunge.”
Ramirez alluded to the loss of revenue of major newspapers stating, “Why would anyone want to buy misinformation when it’s so readily available on the web?”
“If you’re going to present one side of the argument, then present the other side of it too so people can decide what’s important to them.”
He then showed a slideshow of the cartoons presented in his book, going past many and encouraging the audience to “buy the book to see them.”
One cartoon based on the current healthcare debate drew interest. It shows two men lying in a medical bed, one in the U.S. and one in Cuba. The man in the U.S. is thinking, “I wish we had free medical healthcare like they do in Cuba,” and the man in Cuba is thinking, “I wish we had GOOD medical care, like in the United States.”
“His work and perspective is timeless. Work he did over ten years ago still applies to current events today,” said sophomore communication studies major Lisa DeMoss, president of the LMU College Republicans, in reference to Michael Ramirez.
When asked about how he comes up with his ideas he replied, “I have the best gag writers on CSPAN.”
Ramirez ended with a reflection on September 11th.
“They tried to redefine what America is. Well they died in vain. America isn’t a structure of concrete and steel, it’s built from stronger material. America is an idea, an idea conceived in freedom, nurtured in liberty and delivered in justice. It lives in the hearts and minds of all Americans,” he said.
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