Judge — December 29, 1883 — page 16: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This Judge magazine cartoon satirizes sensationalist American newspapers of the era (appears to be late 19th or early 20th century). The cartoon depicts newspaper vendors/readers complaining that their publication lacks sufficient lurid crime content. One figure says "Only eighteen murders—I must change my paper," while another urges finding "a murder or abduction" to boost circulation. The satire targets the "penny dreadfuls" (cheap newspapers featuring sensational crime stories) and critiques how newspapers competed for readers by emphasizing violent, scandalous content rather than substantive reporting. The title "What the daily newspaper is coming to" suggests concern about journalism's degradation through commercialism and readers' appetite for sensationalism. This reflects genuine Progressive-era anxieties about yellow journalism and media ethics.