The Wasp — 1892 — page 316: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This political cartoon satirizes sensationalist newspaper coverage of San Francisco's economic crisis. The central figure—a scarecrow labeled "scarecrow press"—waves a sign reading "Horrible Discovery" claiming a huge debt and tax burden. Around it, caricatured figures (appearing to represent businessmen or merchants) react with alarm, while signs reference "Failure," "Lockout," and labor troubles. The satire's point: newspapers exaggerate economic problems like scarecrows frighten birds—spreading panic through exaggerated or invented "horrible discoveries" to scare the public. The merchant shown on the left holds a sign stating this is "one of the 5000 San Francisco wholesale merchants going out of business," suggesting the press amplifies isolated incidents into false catastrophes. The cartoon criticizes irresponsible journalism inflaming economic anxiety.