High school Quote by H. L. Mencken
““The average newspaper, especially of the better sort, has the intelligence of a hillbilly evangelist, the courage of a rat, the fairness of a prohibitionist boob-jumper, the information of a high school janitor, the taste of a designer of celluloid valentines, and the honor of a police-station lawyer.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: “The American Language” by H. L. Mencken, 1921
A scathing satire of low‑quality journalism, comparing it to various incompetent and dishonest figures.
In simple terms: Media can be shallow and biased.
Key Takeaway
Critically evaluate news sources.
Themes
media criticism
satire
journalism
culture
bias
Mood
skeptical
ironic
critical
Type
satirical
observational
When to use this quote
- reading newspapers
- media literacy
- public discourse
- political analysis
Key Concepts
cynicism
hyperbole
social commentary
Questions to Reflect On
- How does satire shape your view of media?
- What standards should journalism meet?
A Different Perspective
Even sharp satire may overlook good reporting.
![“By profession a biologist, [Thomas Henry Huxley] covered in fact the whole field of the exact sciences, and then bulged through its four fences. Absolutely nothing was uninteresting to him. His curiosity ranged from music to theology and from philosophy to history. He didn't simply know something…” quote by H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f46/h-l-mencken-245_absolutely-nothing_by-profession-a-biologist-thomas-henry-h_5368.jpg)
