Cartoons, Political

Political cartoons are an inherent part of a free society. In any society where freedom of speech and the press is constitutionally guaranteed, the political cartoon occupies a special place. A political cartoon is a visual commentary. Therefore, a political cartoon is primarily an opinion-oriented journalistic medium and can usually be found on the editorial pages. Its subject matter is devoted to a contemporary and newsworthy political issue. However, its readers are required to possess some basic background knowledge about its subject matter. The underlying assumptions must be clear and provided by the media coverage of at least the supporting medium. Otherwise, the audience might have problems decoding the depiction due to the gap in knowledge.