Dominic Pizarro

Professor Sartin

AFRS 100-04

18 October 2012

Analytical Essay AssignmentPolitical Cartoons Setting Social Agenda

Since 1843, cartoons have served as a staple of printed media. The majority of cartoons

are intended to produce a humorous reaction amongst audiences, however a select number of

cartoons exist solely to persuade audiences, political cartoons. Iro Sani, Mardziah Hayati Abdul-

lah, Faiz Sathi Abdullah and Afida Mohamad Ali composed an article, “Political Cartoons as a

Vehicle of Setting Social Agenda: The Newspaper Example”, to elucidate the function of politi-

cal cartoons in setting social agenda and to explicitly discern the significance of images to por-

tray certain agendas and illustrate government officials. Political cartoons, are a medium through

which artists promulgate social agendas, employing both linguistic and non linguistic devices

(Sani, Abdullah, Abdullah, & Ali 157).

To begin research, the authors chose two Nigerian newspapers, Daily Trust and Van-

guard, because of their greater sphere of influence. These two newspapers were also selected for

their particular publication of political cartoons. Researching social agendas, the authors discov-

ered the two levels of agenda setting, the transmission and the accentuation of political figure’s

attributes. Based upon this information, the authors comprised two main research questions: 1)

“How are political cartoons used to set social agenda in the Nigerian context?” and 2) “What are

the predominant themes of Nigerian political cartoons during the period 2007-2010? (Sani, Ab-

dullah, Abdullah, & Ali 159)” The findings of this research demonstrate how political cartoons

implicitly indoctrinate society, swaying the political stance of a large audience.

The main issue of this article can be seen simply as social issues being advocated in

Nigeria, however there is a larger issue. Political cartoons not only exist in Nigeria, but exist all

over the world spreading different social agendas tailored to the specific host environment. Using

political cartoons, the media has the ability to secretly indoctrinate audiences with opinionated

agendas. Due to the major role played by the media in society, some people tend to believe ev-

erything they read, causing them to make unwise decisions. A person may simply vote for a can-

didate based solely upon the social agenda presented in a cartoon, instead of conducting personal

research. Just as political cartoons in Nigeria make an exigence for the process of\ government,

other countries use political cartoons to question government procedures.

Sami, Abdullah, Abdullah, and Ali’s argument is strongly rooted in facts. Political car-

toons don’t exist solely for amusement, but instead aim to persuade readers of a certain view-

point. Similar to the Federal Writers’ Project’s description of Negro writers in “Artists of the

Harlem Renaissance”, the artists of political cartoons write “with a wide and varied range of tal-

ent and feeling (Federal Writers’ Project).” The talent of the artists makes the cartoon realistic

and relatable, and the feeling adds the persuasive argument needed to propose social agendas.

The obvious intent of political cartoons is to “advertise” for a political viewpoint; although the

cartoon may have humorous characteristics, they simply exist to draw focus to the underlying

persuasive argument. Political cartoon always contain an argument proposing a controversial so-

cial agenda.

Cartoons appeal to a wide spectrum of ages and therefore have a larger audience than

other forms of printed media. This media uses this to its advantage to spread social agendas, in-

stead of using books or newspaper articles as mediums. In order to persuade audiences, the me-

dia uses a humorous appeal to audiences. Using both writing and visual techniques, the media

successfully integrates politics, humor, and a persuasive argument. This entire portfolio of tactics

ensures a persuasion of audience members regarding the specific social agenda. Political car-

toons are a staple of printed media and will remain as long as government exists. Political car-

toons are needed as a free expression of social agendas, whether they be social injustice or a lack

of proper government.

Works Cited

Sani, Iro, Mardziah H. Abdullah, Faiz S. Abdullah, and Afida M. Ali. Political Cartoons as a Vehicle of Setting Social Agenda: The Newspaper Example. Malaysia: Asian So-

cial Science, May-June 2012. PDF. 

Writers' Project, Federal. "Artists of the Harlem Renaissance." Heritage: African American Readings for Writing. 2nd ed. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2002. 221-25. Print.