COZA: punch Newspaper Editor sacked!!
The dismissal of the Punch editor over the offensive cartoon showing a man pissing on the bible that illustrated an article written by one of its columnists, Abimbola Adelakun, last Thursday about the COZA rape allegation saga will continue to generate intense debates among media scholars and other public intellectuals on the limit(or absence of) of free speech).
I learnt the management of the print medium may also have to part ways with the columnist and the chairman of its editorial board. These are mere speculations as nothing is confirmed yet.
My question is: should the editor, the longest serving on the stable of the paper, have been sacked over the offensive cartoon?
Another one is: should there be a limit to free speech?
Personally, I would not have allowed the cartoon to go if I were to be the editor knowing how offensive it could be to the adherents of Christianity whose symbol of faith is the bible.
I would have weighed in the intended and unintended consequences the cartoon would trigger in a country where people take their religions seriously and could even kill on behalf of God if there’s any warrant to do so.
I honestly would have used my editorial discretion to yank off the cartoon and call for a replacement if at all it must be illustrated with one.
One thing is that writers which columnists are like to believe they can write on and about anything with unfettered access without scant regards for the emotions and sentiments of their readers. They believe it is anti-intellectual and kind of inhibiting to set a limit to what they can write on.
PS: Learnt the columnist has been told to rest her column with the paper.
