Abstract
Heeding journalism historians Hanno Hardt and Bonnie Brennan’s call for inquiries that provide a new understanding of historical working conditions, this study explored the production of a sample of Szep’s editorial cartoons that surrounded Jimmy Carter’s campaign and presidency from 1976 to 1980. In particular, the manuscript considered the historical conditions and personal circumstances that influenced the cultural production of Szep’s body of work surrounding Jimmy Carter’s presidency; representations of Carter and his White House campaign in the sample of 20 editorial cartoons produced by Szep; moments of consumption by active Boston Globe audiences; the practice of identity [de]construction related to these media texts; and acts of attempted regulation of these “speaking pictures.” To do so, the researcher conducted a qualitative, in-depth interview with Szep about a sample of 20 of his Carter-focused cartoons, which were originally published in the Boston Globe from 1976 to 1980, and a textual analysis of the editorial cartoons and relevant archival materials housed in the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library in Atlanta, Ga.
Recommended Citation
Roessner, Lori Amber. "[De]Constructing Jimmy's Grin: Doing Cultural Studies through the Lens of Boston Globe Editorial Cartoonist Paul Szep's Showcase of Carter's White House Campaign." Journal of 20th Century Media History 4, 1 (2026): 1-27. doi:10.33470/2997-2523.1057.