Average Quote by H. L. Mencken
“To the best of my knowledge and belief, the average American newspaper, even of the so-called better sort, is not only quite as bad as Upton Sinclair says it is, but 10 times worse, 10 times as ignorant, 10 times as unfair and tyrannical, 10 times as complaisant and pusillanimous, and 10 times as devious, hypocritical, disingenuous, deceitful, pharisaical, Pecksniffian, fraudulent, slippery, unscrupulous, perfidious, lewd and dishonest.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: "The American Newspaper", 1922, H. L. Mencken critique of press
Mencken argues newspapers are far worse than critics claim, being ignorant, unfair, and deceitful in many ways
In simple terms: Newspapers are extremely biased and unreliable
Key Takeaway
Critically evaluate media sources and seek diverse viewpoints
Themes
media criticism
bias
journalism
Mood
skeptical
critical
Type
analytical
educational
When to use this quote
- news consumption
- academic research
- media literacy programs
Key Concepts
ethical standards
information reliability
Questions to Reflect On
- How can readers discern bias in news?
- What standards should journalists uphold?
A Different Perspective
His hyperbolic style may exaggerate issues beyond typical experience
![“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)
