--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What are the fifty newspapers, which…" description: "\"“What are the fifty newspapers, which those precocious urchins are bawling down the street, and which are kept filed within, what are they but amusemen..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e34/charles-dickens-34_birds-of-prey_what-are-the-fifty-newspapers-which-thos_1313637.jpg" --- # What are the fifty newspapers, which those precocious… ![“What are the fifty newspapers, which those precocious urchins are bawling down the street, and which are kept filed within, what are they but amusements? Not vapid, waterish amusements, but good strong stuff; dealing in round abuse and blackguard names; pulling off the roofs of private houses, as…” quote by Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e34/charles-dickens-34_birds-of-prey_what-are-the-fifty-newspapers-which-thos_1313637.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e34/charles-dickens-34_birds-of-prey_what-are-the-fifty-newspapers-which-thos_1313637.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e34/charles-dickens-34_birds-of-prey_what-are-the-fifty-newspapers-which-thos_1313637.jpg) > ““What are the fifty newspapers, which those precocious urchins are bawling down the street, and which are kept filed within, what are they but amusements? Not vapid, waterish amusements, but good strong stuff; dealing in round abuse and blackguard names; pulling off the roofs of private houses, as the Halting Devil did in Spain; pimping and pandering for all degrees of vicious taste, and gorging with coined lies the most voracious maw; imputing to every man in public life the coarsest and the vilest motives; scaring away from the stabbed and prostrate body-politic, every Samaritan of clear conscience and good deeds; and setting on, with yell and whistle and the clapping of foul hands, the vilest vermin and worst birds of prey.”” [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The press sensationalizes and corrupts public discourse, turning news into vulgar entertainment that undermines moral integrity. **In simple terms:** Newspapers corrupt public discourse. Key Takeaway Critically evaluate media sources. Themes media morality corruption public discourse sensationalism Mood cynical critical Type commentary analytical When to use this quote - political debates - media consumption - public opinion formation - journalistic ethics Key Concepts propaganda ethical decay social influence Questions to Reflect On - How does sensationalism affect civic responsibility? - What responsibilities do journalists have to truth? A Different Perspective Sensationalism can also inform and mobilize public action. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Birds of prey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/birds-of-prey/) [Clear conscience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clear-conscience/) [Good deeds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-deeds/) [Journalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journalism/) [Newspapers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/newspapers/) [Public life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/public-life/) ## Related quotes > [Why should I disguise what you know so well, but what the crowd never dream of? We companies are all birds of prey; mere…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/why-should-i-disguise-what-you-know-so-well-but-what-the-crowd-never/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“The world, being in the constant commission of vast quantities of injustice, is a little too apt to comfort itself with the idea that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/the-world-being-in-the-constant-commission-of-vast-quantities-of/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“The Dover mail was in its usual genial position that the guard suspected the passengers, the passengers suspected one another and the guard, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/the-dover-mail-was-in-its-usual-genial-position-that-the-guard/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [And wisdom is a butterfly And not a gloomy bird of prey.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-butler-yeats/and-wisdom-is-a-butterfly-and-not-a-gloomy-bird-of-prey/) [William Butler Yeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-butler-yeats/) > [With my sister perched on my arm, I walked to the elevator. A business man with a rolling suitcase was waiting by the doors.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/with-my-sister-perched-on-my-arm-i-walked-to-the-elevator-a-business/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [Mozart's mental grip never loosens; he never abandons himself to any one sense; even at his most ecstatic moments his mind is vigorous, alert,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-j-turner/mozart-s-mental-grip-never-loosens-he-never-abandons-himself-to-any/) Walter J. Turner > [“Heat in her birds of prey fingertips, smoke of gilded flowers in her aureate gorging hair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-gentile/heat-in-her-birds-of-prey-fingertips-smoke-of-gilded-flowers-in-her/) [Laura Gentile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-gentile/) > [More like some small, fierce bird of prey, something with a sharp bite. An owl perhaps, that speaks only when the rest of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juliet-marillier/more-like-some-small-fierce-bird-of-prey-something-with-a-sharp-bite/) [Juliet Marillier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juliet-marillier/) > [I love watching birds of prey and stags.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-perkins/i-love-watching-birds-of-prey-and-stags/) [Sue Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-perkins/) > [“Now therefore, while the youthful hue Sits on thy skin like morning dew, And while thy willing soul transpires At every pore with instant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-marvell/now-therefore-while-the-youthful-hue-sits-on-thy-skin-like-morning/) [Andrew Marvell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-marvell/) > [Of all types of birds, birds of prey have always fascinated people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-knight/of-all-types-of-birds-birds-of-prey-have-always-fascinated-people/) [Jim Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-knight/) > [“The house-cat is a four-legged quadruped, the legs as usual being at the corners. It is what is sometimes called a tame animal, though…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-exley/the-house-cat-is-a-four-legged-quadruped-the-legs-as-usual-being-at/) [Helen Exley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-exley/) > [“Birds of prey and fierce piranha enter not into Nirvana, where are neither thorns nor nettles, only soft and fragrant petals.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-biccard/birds-of-prey-and-fierce-piranha-enter-not-into-nirvana-where-are/) [John Biccard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-biccard/) > [Staring at her face, she began to fancy her outer layer had begun to melt away while she wasn't paying attention, and something --…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laini-taylor/staring-at-her-face-she-began-to-fancy-her-outer-layer-had-begun-to/) [Laini Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laini-taylor/) > [Every wife ought to answer for her man. If the husband be engaged in a seditious club, or drinks mysterious healths, or be frugal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/every-wife-ought-to-answer-for-her-man-if-the-husband-be-engaged-in-a/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) ## More by Charles Dickens > [“All other swindlers upon earth are nothing to the self-swindlers, and with such pretences did I cheat myself. Surely a curious thing. That I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/all-other-swindlers-upon-earth-are-nothing-to-the-self-swindlers-and/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [... Arthur Gride, whose bleared eyes gloated only over the outward beauties, and were blind to the spirit which reigned within, evinced - a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/arthur-gride-whose-bleared-eyes-gloated-only-over-the-outward/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [There can be no disparity in marriage like unsuitability of mind and purpose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/there-can-be-no-disparity-in-marriage-like-unsuitability-of-mind-and/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [I have tried to resign myself, and to console myself; and that, I hope, I may have done imperfectly; but what I cannot firmly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/i-have-tried-to-resign-myself-and-to-console-myself-and-that-i-hope-i/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [A new heart for a New Year, always!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/a-new-heart-for-a-new-year-always/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“The suspense: the fearful, acute suspense: of standing idly by while the life of one we dearly love, is trembling in the balance; the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/the-suspense-the-fearful-acute-suspense-of-standing-idly-by-while-the/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“Mrs. Joe was a very clean housekeeper, but had an exquisite art of making her cleanliness more uncomfortable and unacceptable than dirt itself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/mrs-joe-was-a-very-clean-housekeeper-but-had-an-exquisite-art-of/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [There seems a magic in the very name of Christmas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/there-seems-a-magic-in-the-very-name-of-christmas/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“evening, they began to think that although he could never hope to be an Englishman, still it would be hard to visit that affliction…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/evening-they-began-to-think-that-although-he-could-never-hope-to-be/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“Besides which, all that I could have said of the Story to any purpose, I had endeavoured to say in it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/besides-which-all-that-i-could-have-said-of-the-story-to-any-purpose/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“The wheels rolled on, and rolled down by the Monument, and by the Tower; and by the Docks; down by Ratcliffe, and by Rotherhithe;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/the-wheels-rolled-on-and-rolled-down-by-the-monument-and-by-the-tower/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“The three customers pulled off their hats to Madame Defarge, with three flourishes. She acknowledged their homage by bending her head, and giving them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/the-three-customers-pulled-off-their-hats-to-madame-defarge-with/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“What a situation!' cried Miss Squeers; '...What is the reason that men fall in love with me, whether I like it or not, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/what-a-situation-cried-miss-squeers-what-is-the-reason-that-men-fall/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [I admire machinery as much is any man, and am as thankful to it as any man can be for what it does for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/i-admire-machinery-as-much-is-any-man-and-am-as-thankful-to-it-as-any/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“Mr. Pickwick was a philosopher, but philosophers are only men in armour, after all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/mr-pickwick-was-a-philosopher-but-philosophers-are-only-men-in-armour/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) [Explore all 2,309 Charles Dickens quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) ## More Birds of prey quotes > [Every wife ought to answer for her man. If the husband be engaged in a seditious club, or drinks mysterious healths, or be frugal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/every-wife-ought-to-answer-for-her-man-if-the-husband-be-engaged-in-a/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [Staring at her face, she began to fancy her outer layer had begun to melt away while she wasn't paying attention, and something --…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laini-taylor/staring-at-her-face-she-began-to-fancy-her-outer-layer-had-begun-to/) [Laini Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laini-taylor/) > [“Birds of prey and fierce piranha enter not into Nirvana, where are neither thorns nor nettles, only soft and fragrant petals.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-biccard/birds-of-prey-and-fierce-piranha-enter-not-into-nirvana-where-are/) [John Biccard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-biccard/) > [“The house-cat is a four-legged quadruped, the legs as usual being at the corners. It is what is sometimes called a tame animal, though…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-exley/the-house-cat-is-a-four-legged-quadruped-the-legs-as-usual-being-at/) [Helen Exley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-exley/) > [Of all types of birds, birds of prey have always fascinated people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-knight/of-all-types-of-birds-birds-of-prey-have-always-fascinated-people/) [Jim Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-knight/) > [“Now therefore, while the youthful hue Sits on thy skin like morning dew, And while thy willing soul transpires At every pore with instant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-marvell/now-therefore-while-the-youthful-hue-sits-on-thy-skin-like-morning/) [Andrew Marvell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-marvell/) > [I love watching birds of prey and stags.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-perkins/i-love-watching-birds-of-prey-and-stags/) [Sue Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-perkins/) > [More like some small, fierce bird of prey, something with a sharp bite. An owl perhaps, that speaks only when the rest of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juliet-marillier/more-like-some-small-fierce-bird-of-prey-something-with-a-sharp-bite/) [Juliet Marillier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juliet-marillier/) > [“Heat in her birds of prey fingertips, smoke of gilded flowers in her aureate gorging hair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-gentile/heat-in-her-birds-of-prey-fingertips-smoke-of-gilded-flowers-in-her/) [Laura Gentile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-gentile/) > [Mozart's mental grip never loosens; he never abandons himself to any one sense; even at his most ecstatic moments his mind is vigorous, alert,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-j-turner/mozart-s-mental-grip-never-loosens-he-never-abandons-himself-to-any/) Walter J. Turner > [With my sister perched on my arm, I walked to the elevator. A business man with a rolling suitcase was waiting by the doors.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/with-my-sister-perched-on-my-arm-i-walked-to-the-elevator-a-business/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [And wisdom is a butterfly And not a gloomy bird of prey.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-butler-yeats/and-wisdom-is-a-butterfly-and-not-a-gloomy-bird-of-prey/) [William Butler Yeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-butler-yeats/) > [Why should I disguise what you know so well, but what the crowd never dream of? We companies are all birds of prey; mere…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/why-should-i-disguise-what-you-know-so-well-but-what-the-crowd-never/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [How describe the delicate thing that happens when a brilliant insect alights on a flower? Words, with their weight, fall upon the picture like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-renard/how-describe-the-delicate-thing-that-happens-when-a-brilliant-insect/) [Jules Renard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-renard/) > [“Geographically, Jess's backside was a mountain range. The sun rose over it -eventually. Huge birds of prey nested on its craggy heights and hunted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-limb/geographically-jess-s-backside-was-a-mountain-range-the-sun-rose-over/) [Sue Limb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-limb/) [Browse all 35 Birds of prey quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/birds-of-prey/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“What are the fifty newspapers, which those precocious urchins are bawling down the street, and which are kept filed within, what are they but amusements? 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