Outlet Promotes Sexist Cartoon of DeSantis Spokeswoman: ‘They Can’t Disprove My Points So They Turn to Shallow, Appearance-Based Insults’

An editorial cartoonist for the Pensacola News Journal promoted a sexist cartoon of Christina Pushaw, press secretary for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), on Wednesday and has a history of questionable work, despite the parent company’s self-proclaimed commitment to a culture of inclusion.

Andy Marlette, who works for the Pensacola News Journal, which is owned by Gannett, promoted his latest work depicting DeSantis’s press secretary in a sexist light.

The image depicts Pushaw on a magazine cover holding a bag of cash and includes the headlines, “3 cosmetic enhancements to conceal inner ugliness,” and “how bitterness & cynicism can hide your boss’s inadequacies”:

#Florida cartoon: #COVID19 Covergirl and taxpayer-funded Twitter troll, @ChristinaPushaw… @GovRonDeSantis @RonDeSantisFL pic.twitter.com/D3Ehn8nbVa

— Andy Marlette (@AndyMarlette) August 25, 2021

Interestingly Gannett has a statement explicitly laying out its purported devotion to a “culture of inclusion,” referring to inclusivity as “not just a mindset” but a “continuous journey for our organization and employees at all levels”:

We are accountable and committed to focusing on greater inclusion of Women, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), LGBTQIA+, those with Differing Abilities, Veterans, and other underrepresented groups across our workforce. Beginning with our Board of Directors and our Executive Leadership Team, this commitment extends throughout the organization. For more about our specific goals and targets relating to Inclusion, Diversity & Equity, please visit our Workforce Diversity page.

It remains unclear how the company justifies the sexist cartoon of Pushaw, given its self-proclaimed commitment to the “greater inclusion of women.”

Pushaw also uncovered another questionable cartoon drawn by Marlette, featuring Kanye West and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

“Hi  @Gannett, are these misogynistic and racist cartoons from @AndyMarlette  at @pnj aligned with your corporate social responsibility statement?” she asked:

Hi @Gannett, are these misogynistic and racist cartoons from @AndyMarlette at @pnj aligned with your corporate social responsibility statement? pic.twitter.com/lJeO5G452u

— Christina Pushaw (@ChristinaPushaw) August 25, 2021

Hey Christina, I'm actually a registered Republican but I would love to interview you on your thoughts about this cartoon as well as "sexist and misogynistic" imagery and so-called identity politics. Would you be available to talk?

— Andy Marlette (@AndyMarlette) August 25, 2021

Notably, Marlette’s smear job follows Twitter temporarily suspending Pushaw, alleging “abusive behavior” after she highlighted an Associated Press (AP) article which advanced a false narrative, attempting to make it sound as if DeSantis was only promoting monoclonal antibody treatments across the Sunshine State because one of his top donors’ companies invested in it. All the while, the social media giant continued to allow the Taliban to maintain its social media presence.

“Corporate media constantly tries to smear Governor DeSantis by fabricating false narratives. When people see through that, liberal media activists resort to attacking the Governor’s staff, simply for doing our jobs,” Pushaw told Breitbart News.

“They can’t disprove my points, so they turn to shallow, appearance-based insults,” she continued.

“Despite the blatant misogyny of Andy Marlette’s cartoon and his racist earlier work, I do not want anyone to censor him. Everyone should see what kind of low blows the Pensacola News Journal endorses, despite its parent company Gannett’s lofty statements about diversity, equity, and inclusion,” she added.

As Breitbart News reported, DeSantis himself pushed back against the AP’s dishonest framing, penning a scathing letter to AP president and CEO Daisy Veerasingham in which he blasted the company for “insinuating that Florida’s push to expand awareness of and access to monoclonal antibody treatments was done to boost Regeneron’s profit, rather than to simply help Floridians in need.”

“Indeed, as the federal government long ago bought the entire stock of Regeneron’s COVID monoclonal treatment, it is not even a plausible concept,” DeSantis wrote, warning that the AP’s irresponsible reporting would “have real consequences for people’s health, especially given that the Regeneron monoclonal antibody treatment has a proven track record and has been touted by both the Trump and Biden administration.”