The Buffalo History Museum has postponed an event following threats against The Buffalo News editorial cartoonist, Zyglis, and his family. The event aimed to highlight the importance of protecting local free press amid national pressures.
Public backlash ensued after an editorial cartoon about Texas flooding was published in The Buffalo News. This led to calls for protests against Zyglis and resulted in a series of death threats and other direct threats toward him and his family.
“We wholly condemn the individuals who have chosen to twist a positive, public event into an attempt to terrorize and silence Zyglis,” stated representatives from the Buffalo Newspaper Guild. They emphasized that such acts distort the mission of a free press.
Zyglis is known for signing every cartoon he creates, working independently from newsroom reporters and editors at The Buffalo News. “The Buffalo Newspaper Guild will not stand for physical threats of harm against him and his family,” they declared, adding that these threats are being reported to law enforcement.
For safety reasons, the decision was made to postpone the happy hour event at the museum, which will be rescheduled later. Appreciation was expressed towards museum leadership for their understanding during this period.
The Buffalo News remains committed to providing accurate information as Western New York’s largest news organization. “The spiteful campaign to attack and harm Zyglis represents only one more example of the challenges we face as a community,” noted representatives from the guild.
Supporters are encouraged to oppose these intimidation tactics and back efforts by visiting www.ProtectLocalJournalism.com.
