In the modern era of Indian journalism, editors come and go, reporters get hired and fired, and there are even publications who have lost the grace to record the passing of their foot soldiers.
How amazing, therefore, that The Daily Telegraph, London, should run an editorial on its cartoonist Matt Pritchett on his completing 25 years on the paper’s rolls.
The inimitable Matt
Twenty-five years ago, on February 25,1988, The Daily Telegraph carried a short statement from the Editor apologising for printing the wrong date on the masthead of the previous day’s newspaper. This turned out to be the most serendipitous error in modern journalism, because a pocket cartoon was printed alongside the apology to soften its impact.
It depicted two readers and the line “I hope I have a better Thursday than I did yesterday.”
This was the first front-page cartoon by the inimitable Matt Pritchett, who had previously seen some of his offerings published in the Telegraph’s diary column while working as a pizza waiter. We are fortunate he failed in his ambition to become a TV cameraman, and has instead spent the past quarter of a century entertaining millions of readers whose day cannot begin without Matt – whichever day it might be.
IJR 
Very commendable indeed and shows the value they attach to Mark Pritchett.. Newspapers in India could surely take a leaf out of the Daily Telegraph’s book.
this particular cartoon reminds me of IFFCO’s gift of Rs 50crore worth residence to the MD!
Churumuri
Your tribute to Pritxhett was also heartening. These graces in journalism have disappeared in India. When Frank Moraes died, some newspapers pretended they didn’t know who he was. The New York Times carried a two-column tribute. Another great cartoonist I recall is Emmett of The Punch or The London Charivari, whose caricatures of locomotives would beat the imagination of Haruki Murakami if Punch and he were to be around. Thank you again for valuing values.
Krishnamoorty