Two people can be named responsible for the era that changed journalism to add hype to news: Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst (2). Pulitzer and Hurst ran competing newspapers The New York World and The New York Journal. Competition for increased circulation spiraled into what is now known as yellow journalism (5).
Newspapers were fighting for a profit and in doing so news was dramatized (3). Pulitzer and Hearst did not rely on objectivity, but instead attracting readership (3). Pulitzer and Hearst’s goal was to entertain and shock readers (2). The headlines were exciting, dramatic pictures were used that often had little or no significance, fake interviews were used as well as made up stories, there were stories that highlighted common man problems and the use of cartoons began (1).
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Cartoons were becoming popular and Pulitzer added the Yellow Kid to his paper. Richard F. Outcault was the first artist to draw the Yellow Kid for Pulitzer (5). The kid was illustrated as bald, snaggle-toothed and wearing a long yellow shirt (2). The Yellow Kid was the first political cartoon and is responsible for the name of yellow journalism. It was first known as yellow-kid journalism and then later shortened (1).
Hearst wanted Outcault for use of the Yellow Kid and bought him off for a large sum of money (3). Pulitzer knew he had to continue production of the Yellow Kid to keep readership so he hired an artist on that could create the same image (3). Pulitzer hired George Luks to be the new artist (5).
The Yellow Kid played a powerful role in forming public opinion on stories, either by adding hype to stories within the New York World and the New York Journal or by discrediting stories within other papers (3). Most importantly the Yellow Kid was used to create public opinion on current issues such as the Spanish-American War (3).
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Yellow journalism is generally associated with initiating the Spanish-American War, creating the first “media war” (4). Hearst particularly used over-dramatized events happening in Cuba to stir public opinion, give the people a desire for war and most importantly, sell his papers (4). To turn people against the Spanish, Hearst’s articles would say things like, “The Spaniards stab to death all Cubans who come under their power” (2, p.81). Hearst blamed the Spanish for the sinking of the battleship Maine in Havana Harbor to cause the public to demand action against the Spanish and trigger a war (4). Although Pulitzer did not initially jump on the band-wagon to start involvement with Cuba, the main reason he decided to start pushing the agenda was because of the opportunity to increase newspaper sales (2).
Many papers were against the acts of yellow journalism, including the New York Evening Post. They stated yellow journalism as, “sinners, public evils and a national disgrace” (2, p. 76). The post also stated that no one thinks Pulitzer or Hearst care about the harm to others involved, they only cared about a boost in sales (2). The Spanish-American War could have potentially been avoided without the acts of yellow journalism (2). This was a part of journalism history that truly showed the power of the papers and public opinion.
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1. Selling the Kid: the Role of Yellow Journalism. Yellow Kid on the Paper Stage. March 1, 2012. click here
2. Streitmatter, R. (2008). Journalism as Warmonger. Mightier than the Sword. Second Edition. Westview Press. pp. 75-92.
3. The “Yellow Fever” of Journalism. Yellow Journalism. March 1, 2012. click here
4. Yellow Journalism. (1999). Crucible of Empire. March 1, 2012. click here
5. The Yellow Press. Spartacus Educational. March 1, 2012. click here
Background image taken from: The Spanish-American War. LEARN NC. March 1, 2012. click here
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