Rupert Murdoch apologizes for racist cartoon

Rupert Murdoch, New York Post Chairman and head of News Corp, apologized for a cartoon that ignited protests from readers who saw it as a racist depiction of President Barack Obama as a chimpanzee (Reuters and MSNBC reports). Murdoch said the cartoon was a mistake that offended many people. "Today I want to personally apologize to any reader who felt offended, and even insulted. We all hold the readers of the New York Post in high regard and I promise you that we will seek to be more attuned to the sensitivities of our community. The cartoon of a policeman shooting an ape mocked the real shooting of a pet chimpanzee in Connecticut. A police officer in the cartoon says, "They'll have to find someone else to write the next stimulus bill." The cartoon followed the Obamas signing of the $787 billion economic stimulus bill into law. Reuters also reported that the newspaper initially defended the cartoon as a parody of Washington politics, but Sharpton said it exploited a potent image in the history of racism toward black people. Opinion derived from analysis of various news sources and the featured clip is from MSNBC Hardball with host Chris Matthews focusing on a Reuters news report.

Al Sharpton Doesn't Buy Rupert Murdoch's Apology

Rev. Al Sharpton responds to the apology by Rupert Murdoch over the controversial chimpanzee/stimulus bill cartoon, saying he still hasn't explained why both references were linked in the cartoon.

"He opened the door, but he didn't walk through," he said of the New York Post owner.