Heretics · Chapter
VIII: The Mildness of the Yellow Press explained
Chesterton argues that the so-called 'yellow press' of his day is not sensational or violent, but rather tame, flat, and insipid.
What happens
Chesterton argues that the so-called 'yellow press' of his day is not sensational or violent, but rather tame, flat, and insipid. He criticizes its lack of real plebeian pungency and its tendency to soothe rather than startle, contrasting it with genuine sensational journalism in France, Ireland, and America. He targets Sir Alfred Harmsworth and Mr. Pearson for producing a 'drab press' that avoids offending the powerful and caters to the weary clerk. The chapter concludes with a broader critique of modern journalism's servility and lack of courage, linking it to a general societal trend of fearful conformity.
Themes in this chapter
Critique of Modern Morality
Chesterton condemns the moral cowardice of the yellow press, which avoids offending the powerful and lacks the courage to genuinely surprise or challenge.
Critique of Modern Literature
The chapter is a direct critique of modern journalism, contrasting its tame, platitudinous nature with the vigorous, pungent, and morally courageous journalism of other nations.
Characters to notice
- Sir Alfred Harmsworth
Criticized as the embodiment of the tame, drab press that soothes rather than startles, using large type for comfort rather than shock.
- Mr. Pearson
Attacked for his 'enormous banality' and infantile cunning, exemplified by his hypocritical clamor for home trades while employing foreign printers.
- Unknown Narrator
The voice of the chapter, offering a personal impression that the yellow press is not sensational enough and lacks moral or immoral courage.
Key passages
“The real vice is not that it is startling, but that it is quite insupportably tame.”
The true flaw of this journalism is not its sensationalism, but its unbearable dullness.
Chesterton's central thesis: the yellow press offends by being too mild, not too wild.
“This press is not the yellow press at all; it is the drab press.”
This journalism should be called the drab press, not the yellow press.
A memorable redefinition of the term 'yellow press' to emphasize its lack of color and excitement.
“A little sound common sense often goes further with an audience of American workingmen than much high-flown argument. A speaker who, as he brought forward his points, hammered nails into a board, won hundreds of votes for his side at the last Presidential Election.”
A bit of practical common sense impresses American workers more than lofty rhetoric; for instance, a speaker who hammered nails into a board while making his points gained many votes.
Chesterton quotes this from Pearson's Magazine to illustrate the banality and absurdity of the new journalism's idea of 'common sense.'