The Wasp — 1881 — page 375: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page satirizes the *San Francisco Evening Post's* editorial practices under editor Kate Sprague. The main cartoon depicts a grotesque **prattle** (gossiping creature), illustrating the publication's tendency toward sensationalism and character assassination. The text criticizes the Post's attack on Edgar Allan Poe's legacy, particularly verses allegedly by Poe that the Post published. The author argues the Post recklessly printed unverified material attacking Poe's reputation while he was deceased—a form of cowardly journalism. The piece also mocks the Post's editorial sensationalism, comparing it to yellow journalism that prioritizes scandal over truth. The overall message attacks the Post's moral bankruptcy and disregard for factual accuracy in pursuit of readership.