Have you ever read sensational tabloid headlines such as these?
“Abraham Lincoln was a woman!”
“Teen’s Hair Changes Color... With her Mood”
“Man’s head explodes in barber’s chair”
“Severed leg hops back to hospital”
Well, these are examples of yellow journalism in tabloid headlines.
So, what is yellow journalism?
It is a type of journalism that produces stories without adequate or accurate information. Scandal-mongering and exaggeration are some of the techniques used here. Like everything else, yellow journalism has a history too!
In the late 19th century, yellow journalism had nothing to do with sensationalism. It was named after a popular cartoon strip that was published in Joseph Pulitzer’s newspaper, New York World.
The cartoons, drawn by Richard F. Outcault, were about life in the New York City slum called ‘Hogan’s Alley’. Like Calvin and Snoopy, it was the ‘Yellow Kid’ who was the most well-known character from the comic strip then.
Ultimately, New York World gained popularity. William Hearst was another major publisher belonging to that period. After the rise in sales of New York World, Hearst wanted to hire Outcault away from Pulitzer. This battle over the ‘Yellow Kid’ gave rise to the term yellow journalism.
Cuba had long been a Spanish colony and the revolutionary movement intensified during the 1980s. The two publishers, Hearst and Pulitzer began devoting their attention to the Cuban struggle for independence. Sometimes, they accentuated the harshness of the Spanish rule! In 1898, an American battleship sunk in Havana Harbor.
The naval vessel had been sent there to diffuse the tension between the States and Spain. On the night of February 15, an explosion tore through the ship’s hull and it went down.
Although initial reports by the colonial government had suggested that explosion had occurred on board, Hearst and Pulitzer published rumors of plots to sink the ship! And that is how they triggered the Spanish-American war!
The dramatic style of yellow journalism contributed to creating public support for the Spanish-American war, a war that ultimately expanded the reach of the USA.
What started as a comic strip, ended as a war? That is the power of yellow journalism.
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