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Yellow journalism and the explosion of the uss maine, lesson plan, grade levels, course, subject.

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Evaluate the interpretation of historical events and sources , considering the use of fact versus opinion , multiple perspectives, and cause and effect relationships.

Evaluate how conflict and cooperation among groups and organizations in the U.S. have influenced the growth and development of the world.

• Ethnicity and race
• Working conditions
• Immigration
• Military conflict
• Economic stability

Evaluate the role groups and individuals played in the social, political , cultural, and economic development throughout world history.

• Big Ideas Historical context is needed to comprehend time and space. Historical interpretation involves an analysis of cause and result. Perspective helps to define the attributes of historical comprehension. The history of the United States continues to influence its citizens, and has impacted the rest of the world. World history continues to influence Pennsylvanians, citizens of the United States, and individuals throughout the world today.
• Concepts Biography explores the life of an individual. Biography is a historical construct used to reveal positive and/or negative influences an individual can have on civilization. Biography is a historical construct used to reveal positive and/or negative influences an individual can have on world history. Comprehension of the experiences of individuals, society, and how past human experience has adapted builds aptitude to apply to civic participation. Conflict and cooperation among social groups, organizations, and nation-states are critical to comprehending society in the United States. Domestic instability, ethnic and racial relations, labor relation, immigration, and wars and revolutions are examples of social disagreement and collaboration. Conflict and cooperation among social groups, organizations, and nation-states are critical to comprehending the American society. Historical causation involves motives, reasons, and consequences that result in events and actions. Historical causation involves motives, reasons, and consequences that result in events and actions. Some consequences may be impacted by forces of the irrational or the accidental. Historical comprehension involves evidence-based discussion and explanation, an analysis of sources including multiple points of view, and an ability to read critically to recognize fact from conjecture and evidence from assertion. Historical literacy requires a focus on time and space, and an understanding of the historical context of events and actions. Historical literacy requires a focus on time and space, and an understanding of the historical context, as well as an awareness of point of view. Historical skills (organizing information chronologically, explaining historical issues, locating sources and investigate materials, synthesizing and evaluating evidence, and developing arguments and interpretations based on evidence) are used by an analytical thinker to create a historical construction. Human organizations work to socialize members and, even though there is a constancy of purpose, changes occur over time. Learning about the past and its different contexts shaped by social, cultural, and political influences prepares one for participation as active, critical citizens in a democratic society. Social entities clash over disagreement and assist each other when advantageous. World history can offer an individual discerning judgment in public and personal life, supply examples for living, and thinking about one’s self in the dimensions of time and space. World history can offer an individual judicious understanding about one’s self in the dimensions of time and space.
• Competencies Articulate the context of a historical event or action. Construct a biography of a non-American and generate conclusions regarding his/her qualities and limitations. Contrast how a historically important issue in the United States was resolved and compare what techniques and decisions may be applied today. Contrast multiple perspectives of individuals and groups in interpreting other times, cultures, and place. Evaluate cause-and-result relationships bearing in mind multiple causations. Summarize how conflict and compromise in United States history impact contemporary society. Synthesize a rationale for the study of a non-American individual in world history.

Common Core Standards

Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products in response to ongoing feedback, including new arguments or information.

Yellow Journalism

William Randolph Hearst

Joseph Pulitzer

Spanish-American War

In studying the Spanish-American War, students will be able to:

List and analyze the events that led to US involvement in Cuba during the Spanish-American War.

Evaluate the cause behind the explosion of the USS Maine.

Define yellow journalism and illustrate its connnection to United States involvement in the Spanish-American War.

Identify William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer and their connections to the Spanish-American War and the USS Maine explosion.

Construct a piece of yellow journalism based on the cause of the USS Maine's explosion.

Lesson Essential Question(s)

What role do multiple causations play in describing a historical event?

Student-Centered Essential Question: How does media influence the value and importance of news?

Four 45 minute periods

2 sensationalist newspapers such as the National Enquirer

Articles from the "National Briefs" and "World Briefs" sections of local newspapers such as the Pittsburgh Post Gazette or Tribune Review (at least one article per student)

Yellow Journalism PowerPoint Yellow Journalism.pptx

Spanish-American War PowerPoint The Spanish-American War.pptx

Yellow Journalism Activity Worksheet - copy for each partner group of two Yellow Journalism Activity.docx

USS Maine Activity Worksheet - copy for each student USS Maine activity.docx

Essay Quiz - copy for each student Essay Quiz.docx

Computers for each student  

Suggested Instructional Strategies

Instructional procedures.

Begin class with the yellow journalism PowerPoint and the journal prompt on slide one.  Have the journal prompt on the board when students enter the room and instruct them to begin answering the questions in their journal.  Give students several minutes to answer the questions in their journal; the instructor should float around the room to check for completion and prompt students to remain on task. After several minutes, have students share their responses with a neighbor; responses will then be shared with the class through a discussion. 

After the discussion, the instructor will proceed through the PowerPoint presentation that defines yellow journalism.  Students will learn the strategies of yellow journalism through direct instruction and then watch a short video clip that addresses the origins of yellow journalism, connecting it to the Spanish-American War.  After the video, students will be asked to identify present-day examples of yellow journalism.  The instructor will write student responses on the board. 

The instructor will present students with a current issue of the National Enquirer newspaper.  The teacher will display an article from the newspaper and identify the techniques utilized in the article that make it an example of yellow journalism.  Students will then be divided into groups of two.  Each partner group will receive one copy of the Yellow Journalism Activity worksheet and will have the opportunity to choose one article from the National Enquirer .  The instructor will move to the next slide that provides the directions for Activity One.  The partner groups will work through the worksheet, identifying the yellow journalism techniques in their article.

Students will use the remaining time in class to finish the worksheet with their partner.

To begin class, any groups that were unable to finish the Yellow Journalism Activity worksheet will receive five minutes to complete it.  Those groups that have finished will meet with a different group and share the articles each selected and why they are considered yellow journalism.

After those five minutes, the instructor will choose two groups to share their articles with the class.  Groups will summarize the contents of their article and then why it is considered a piece of yellow journalism.

The instructor will move on to the last slide in the yellow journalism PowerPoint entitled Activity Two.  The instructor will use a National Brief article from a local newspaper to provide students with an example.  The instructor will read the article to the class and then ask students to brainstorm headlines for the article as well as picture ideas.  Students will select a headline for the article and the instructor will write the headline on the board.  Students will then be asked to brainstorm a way to take the 'brief' containing simple facts and turn it into a sensationalist piece of yellow journalism.  The instructor will write the ideas on the board and then verbally construct the new piece of news (if the instructor desires, this can be done before class and handed to students as an example; students can then go over this example with the class.)

Students will then have the opportunity to create their own piece of news.  Provide students with both national and world briefs from the paper.  Students will have the opportunity to choose one article.  Using the directions listed on the Activity Two slide, students will turn their brief into a piece of yellow journalism.  Students will use a computer to complete the activity.  The new article must contain a headline, picture and sensational text to draw in the reader.  Although students may not contradict the facts of the brief, they may expand on its content to fulfill the criteria of a yellow journalism piece.  The article should fill an 8.5x11 sheet of paper--students may adjust the font size to 16 point font. 

Students will have the remainder of the period to complete the activity.  Students must turn in their original brief with their new interpretation.

Begin class by asking a few students to share their news brief/yellow journalism activity.  Have students summarize the brief and then explain what they did to turn it into a piece of yellow journalism.  Then collect each students news brief/yellow journalism piece.  Ask students if they had any difficulties with the activity. Address those concerns and issues with the class.

The instructor will then cover the events that led to the US involvement in Cuba and the beginning of the Spanish-American War by utilizing the the Spanish-American War PowerPoint and direct instruction.  The instructor will incorporate discussion into the PowerPoint by utilizing the questions in the slideshow.

After the PowerPoint, each student will receive the USS Maine Activity worksheet .  The instructor will inform students that they will now create their own piece of yellow journalism as they attempt to determine the cause behind the explosion of the USS Maine.  The instructor will read through the directions with the class and then the grading scale for the assignment; any questions concerning the assignment will be addressed at this point during the lesson.

Students will have the remaining time in class to begin working on the assignment.  The assignment will be due the following day at the beginning of class.

Students will turn in their USS Maine article at the beginning of class.  After the articles have been collected, students will discuss what they believe to be the cause behind the USS Maine explosion.  The instructor will facilitate the discussion to ensure that all students provide a response and a rationale for their response.

After ten minutes, each student will receive a copy of the essay quiz as well as lined paper.  The instructor will read through the directions of the quiz and answer any questions.  Students will have the rest of the period to finish the essay quiz and turn their responses into the instructor.

Formative Assessment

Provide feedback to ensure student understanding through the group discussions and the relatve activities on yellow journalism.

Collect actvities for individual assessment.

Collect essay quiz for individual assessment.

Related Materials & Resources

USS Maine  - This website provides information on the events leading up to the USS Maine explosion as well as the impact of the explosion. http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq71-1.htm

Crucible of Empire: The Spanish American War - This website addresses the Spanish-American War and the role of yellow journalism. https://www.pbs.org/crucible/

Date Published

Writing: Yellow Journalism

History: USA

Grade 9, 10, 11, 12

Microsoft Word

About This Product

This Writing: Yellow Journalism is a unique teaching resource designed to facilitate advanced learning among students in grades 9 through 12. This product provides an effective tool for school educators and homeschooling setups, focusing on Social Studies.

The core of our module dwells into the sub-subject of USA History, delving deep into "Yellow Journalism". This platform offers students a chance to broaden their perspectives and advance their knowledge.

Hands-On Approach

The assignment starts with engagement through an online article used for students to gain a nuanced understanding of yellow journalism in U.S. history.

It blends technology with traditional learning by providing an integrated internet link

The students are then asked to apply journalism techniques in writing a two-paragraph narrative about another unique U.S. historical event.

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In Comparison: Yielding Multi-Dimensional Understanding

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This prepares them better for relevant discussions around media literacy, news bias, propaganda studies etc.

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Did Yellow Journalism Fuel the Outbreak of the Spanish American War?

By: Lesley Kennedy

Updated: August 22, 2019 | Original: August 21, 2019

The Spanish American War , while dominating the media, also fueled the United States’ first media wars in the era of yellow journalism. Newspapers at the time screamed outrage, with headlines including, “Who Destroyed the Maine? $50,000 Reward,” “Spanish Treachery” and “Invasion!”

But while many newspapers in the late 19th century shifted to more of a tabloid style, the notion that their headlines played a major part in starting the war is often overblown, according to W. Joseph Campbell , a professor of communication at American University in Washington, D.C.

“No serious historian of the Spanish American War period embraces the notion that the yellow press of [ William Randolph] Hearst and [Joseph] Pulitzer fomented or brought on the war with Spain in 1898,” he says.

“Newspapers, after all, did not create the real policy differences between the United States and Spain over Spain's harsh colonial rule of Cuba.”

Newspapers Shift to Feature Bold Headlines and Illustrations

The media scene at the end of the 19th century was robust and highly competitive. It was also experimental, says Campbell. Most newspapers at the time had been typographically bland, with narrow columns and headlines and few illustrations. Then, starting in 1897, half-tone photographs were incorporated into daily issues.

According to Campbell, yellow journalism, in turn, was a distinct genre that featured bold typography, multicolumn headlines, generous and imaginative illustrations, as well as “a keen taste for self-promotion, and an inclination to take an activist role in news reporting.”

In fact, the term "yellow journalism" was born from a rivalry between the two newspaper giants of the era: Joseph Pulitzer’s New York World and William Randolph Hearst's New York Journal. Starting in 1895, Pulitzer printed a comic strip featuring a boy in a yellow nightshirt, entitled the “Yellow Kid.” Hearst then poached the cartoon’s creator and ran the strip in his newspaper. A critic at the  New York Press, in an effort to shame the newspapers' sensationalistic approach, coined the term "Yellow-Kid Journalism" after the cartoon. The term was then shortened to "Yellow Journalism." 

“It was said of Hearst that he wanted New York American readers to look at page one and say, ‘Gee whiz,’ to turn to page two and exclaim, ‘Holy Moses,’ and then at page three, shout ‘God Almighty!’” writes Edwin Diamond in his book, Behind the Times .

That sort of attention-grabbing was evident in the media’s coverage of the Spanish American War. But while the era’s newspapers may have heightened public calls for U.S. entry into the conflict, there were multiple political factors that led to the war’s outbreak.

“Newspapers did not cause the Cuban rebellion that began in 1895 and was a precursor to the Spanish American War,” says Campbell. “And there is no evidence that the administration of President William McKinley turned to the yellow press for foreign policy guidance.”

“But this notion lives on because, like most media myths, it makes for a delicious tale, one readily retold,” Campbell says. “It also strips away complexity and offers an easy-to-grasp, if badly misleading, explanation about why the country went to war in 1898.”

The myth also survives, Campbell says, because it purports the power of the news media at its most malignant. “That is, the media at their worst can lead the country into a war it otherwise would not have fought,” he says.

Sinking of U.S.S. Maine Bring Tensions to a Head

According to the U.S. Office of the Historian , tensions had been brewing in the long-held Spanish colony of Cuba off and on for much of the 19th century, intensifying in the 1890s, with many Americans calling on Spain to withdraw.

“Hearst and Pulitzer devoted more and more attention to the Cuban struggle for independence, at times accentuating the harshness of Spanish rule or the nobility of the revolutionaries, and occasionally printing rousing stories that proved to be false,” the office states. “This sort of coverage, complete with bold headlines and creative drawings of events, sold a lot of papers for both publishers.”

Things came to a head in Cuba on February 15, 1898, with the sinking of the USS Maine in Havana harbor.

“Sober observers and an initial report by the colonial government of Cuba concluded that the explosion had occurred on board, but Hearst and Pulitzer, who had for several years been selling papers by fanning anti-Spanish public opinion in the United States, published rumors of plots to sink the ship,” the Office of the Historian reports. “... By early May, the Spanish American War had begun .”

Despite intense newspaper coverage of the strife, the office agrees that while yellow journalism showed the media could capture attention and influence public reaction, it did not cause the war.

“In spite of Hearst’s often quoted statement—’You furnish the pictures, I’ll provide the war!’—other factors played a greater role in leading to the outbreak of war,” the office states. “The papers did not create anti-Spanish sentiments out of thin air, nor did the publishers fabricate the events to which the U.S. public and politicians reacted so strongly.”

The office further points out that influential figures like Theodore Roosevelt had been leading a drive for U.S. expansion overseas. And that push had been gaining strength since the 1880s.

In the meantime, newspapers’ active voice in the buildup to the war spun forward a shift in the medium.

“Out of yellow journalism’s excess came a fine new model of newspapering,” Geneva Overholser writes in the forward of David Spencer’s book, The Yellow Journalism: The Press and America , “and Pulitzer’s name is now linked with the best work the craft can produce.” 

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Yellow Press Headlines

Look at these newpaper front pages to find examples of yellow journalism. Click each image to enlarge.

Consider how this reporting would have affected the American public's support for going to war with Spain. 

Now that you have reviewed these front pages, respond to the following in writing: 

Provide evidence that the yellow press was biased in its reporting of the sinking of the  Maine . 

In what ways do these headlines and images promote U.S. involvement in a war with Spain?

Support your answers with quotations from the headlines or descriptions of the images.

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Home » Articles » Topic » Media » Yellow Journalism

Yellow Journalism

Written by Cleveland Ferguson III, published on January 1, 2009 , last updated on March 5, 2024

Publisher William Randolph Hearst, right, is interviewed by reporters, Nov. 7, 1935, on his return to "my home state of New York" due to Californian income taxes.  Hearst, publisher of the New York Journal, and rival Joseph Pulitzer, publisher of the New York World, are credited with the creation of yellow journalism in the late 1800s. (AP Photo, used with permission from the Associated Press)

Yellow journalism usually refers to sensationalistic or biased stories that newspapers present as objective truth.

Established late 19th-century journalists coined the term to belittle the unconventional techniques of their rivals. Although Eric Burns (2006) demonstrated that the press in early America could be quite raucous, yellow journalism is generally perceived to be a late 1800s phenomenon full of lore and spin, fact and fiction, tall tales, and large personalities.

Yellow journalism marked by sensationalist stories, self-promotion

William Randolph Hearst, publisher of the New York Journal, and his arch-rival, Joseph Pulitzer, publisher of the New York World, are credited with the creation of yellow journalism.

Such journalism had the following characteristics:

• the use of multicolumn headlines, oversized pictures, and dominant graphics;
• front-page stories that varied from sensationalist to salacious in the same issue;
• one-upmanship, or the scooping of stories, only later to be embarrassed into  retractions  (usually by a competing publication);
• jingoism, or the inflaming of national sentiments through slanted news stories, often related to Civil War;
• extensive use of anonymous sources by overzealous reporters especially in investigative stories on “big-business,” famous people, or political figures;
• self-promotion within the news medium; and
• pandering to the so-called hoi polloi, especially by using the newspaper layout to cater to immigrants for whom English was not their first language.

Conservative press organized boycott against Hearst and Pulitzer newspapers

The conservative press thought these characteristics amounted to misconduct in the gathering of news and launched a boycott of both newspapers.

The boycott was successful in excluding the two newspapers from the stands in the New York Public Library, social clubs, and reading rooms, but it only served to increase readership among average citizens who rarely frequented such establishments.

Overall, the boycott backfired. Circulation for both newspapers increased, and Hearst purchased other newspapers and insisted on the use of the same techniques in other cities.

The conservative press was itself not above printing the occasional fantastical story. Moreover, within ten years, almost every newspaper in the country began using large headlines for election day editions or illustrations and pictures to contextualize a crisis or celebration.

Hearst’s and Pulitzer’s newspapers eventually declined in circulation, but not before others had copied their methods.

Oversized pictures, like this one in Joseph Pulitzer'sWorld, are characteristic of yellow journalism. (Feb. 17, 1898, public domain)

Illustration published in the New York Evening Post shows William Randolph Hearst as a jester tossing newspapers to a crowd of eager readers. It includes a note in the bottom left from the New York mayor which says, ” “The time is at hand when these journalistic scoundrels have got to stop or get out, and I am ready now to do my share to that end. They are absolutely without souls. If decent people would refuse to look at such newspapers the whole thing would right itself at once. The journalism of New York City has been dragged to the lowest depths of degradation. The grossest railleries and libels, instead of honest statements and fair discussion, have gone unchecked.” (Image via  Library of Congress , public domain)

The term ‘yellow journalism’ sourced to comic strip and editorials

Lore has suggested that the use of a comic strip illustrated by the World’s Richard Felton Outcault entitled “The Yellow Kid” (later poached by the Journal) and used to poke fun at industry, political, and society figures, was the source of the phrase “yellow journalism.”

Other sources point to a series of critical editorials by Ervin Wardman of the New York Press as coining the phrase after first attempting to stigmatize the practices as “new” and then “nude” journalism — “yellow” had the more sinister, negative connotation Wardman sought. Other editors began to use the term in their newspapers in New York, and it eventually spread to Chicago, San Francisco, and other cities by early 1897.

Illustration published in the New York Evening Post shows William Randolph Hearst as a jester tossing newspapers to a crowd of eager readers. It includes a note in the bottom left from the New York mayor which says, " "The time is at hand when these journalistic scoundrels have got to stop or get out, and I am ready now to do my share to that end. They are absolutely without souls. If decent people would refuse to look at such newspapers the whole thing would right itself at once. The journalism of New York City has been dragged to the lowest depths of degradation. The grossest railleries and libels, instead of honest statements and fair discussion, have gone unchecked." (Image via Library of Congress, public domain)

Supreme Court has set high bar for determining libel of public figures

Although modern journalistic standards are arguably as high as they have ever been, some Supreme Court decisions have allowed for criticism, especially of public figures.

In  Near v. Minnesota  (1931), the Supreme Court set a strong presumption against  prior restraint  of publication, and  New York Times Co. v. Sullivan  (1964) further set a high bar for public figures who thought that articles printed about them were libelous.

McIntyre v. Ohio Elections Commission  (1995) also ruled that individuals can publish anonymous criticisms of political issues, and newspapers’ use of anonymous sources is largely governed by a code of journalistic ethics.

This article is originally published in 2009. Cleveland Ferguson III, J.D., D.H.L. is Senior Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer for the Jacksonville Transportation Authority

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Teaching Journalism: 5 Journalism Lessons and Activities

You and your students will absolutely love these journalism lessons! The beginning of a new school year can be hectic for journalism teachers who are tasked with simultaneously teaching new journalism students who don’t have any journalism experience while also planning and publishing content for the school newspaper.

If your class is anything like mine, it is a mix of returning and new students. This year, I only have three returning students, so it is almost like I am starting entirely from scratch.

Here are 5 journalism lessons to teach at the beginning of the year

1. staff interview activity.

One of the very first assignments I have my students do is partner up with a fellow staff member that they don’t know and interview them. This activity works on two things: first, it helps the class get to know one another. Secondly, it helps students proactive their interviewing skills in a low-stakes environment.

For this activity, I have students come up with 10 interview questions, interview one another and do a quick write-up so that students can have practice recording their interviews.

Before this activity, I go over interviewing skills with my students. We discuss the dos and don’ts of interviewing, we brainstorm good interviewing questions, and we talk about the need to go beyond simple answer questions.

2. Staff Bio

Another great activity for the beginning of the year is to have students write their staff bio. This provides students with an opportunity to write in the third person while also providing the most important information.

For my staff bios, I give students 80-100 words. I have them write their bios in the third person and in the present tense.

3. Collaborative News Story

For our first news story of the school year, I like to write one collaboratively as a staff. We go over the basics of journalism writing and then write together in one Google Doc. I do this as a learning activity so that new staff can see how we write journalistically. First, I have students work together in small groups to write the lead. Then, as a class, we craft one together. From there, we move on to building the story.

As we write the story, as a staff, we can then see what kind of information we need. I assign small groups of students to interview people and find quotes. Those groups then add that information to the story.

Once it is written, we edit and review the story together before it is published. This activity is particularly helpful because students get to see how we format quotes in our stories, how we refer to students and teachers in our stories, and how we go about the news-gathering process.

Once our collaborative story is done, new staff then have the green light to begin writing their own stories.

4. The News Determinants

You can also read more in-depth about the news determinants with this blog post about teaching the five news determinants .

5. AP Style Writing

As students are writing their first stories, I like to teach students about AP Style . I use this instructional presentation, and students assemble their AP Style mini flip books that they use as a reference all year long.

The news determinants and AP Style lessons are included in my journalism curriculum with many other resources that will make teaching and advising the middle school or high school newspaper much easier.

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Yellow Journalism - Reading Passage Worksheet & Ten Questions (Editable)

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This reading passage focuses on the Yellow Journalism. Here is an excerpt from the introductory paragraph; "Yellow journalism, a term coined in the late 19th century, refers to a style of reporting characterized by sensationalism, exaggeration, and the use of eye-catching headlines to attract readers. This style of journalism gained prominence during the circulation wars between Joseph Pulitzer's New York World and William Randolph Hearst's New York Journal in the late 1800s."

Our School District has placed an emphasis on student ability to read, comprehend and respond in writing. This is the best tool for developing good readers and writers within science.

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Yellow Journalism Assignment

Yellow Journalism Complete the graphic organizer using the information from Site 1 . Headlines Pulitzer and Hearst agreed that the key to selling a newspaper was an attention-grabbing emotional headline. At Site 2, click on Headline Gallery and look at the headlines from actual newspapers in 1898. Notice the word choices in the headlines. . List the words you see that appeal to people’s emotions: -vengeance, victory, slaughter, war, destroyed, enemy, conviction, criminals, death, perpetrator, outrage, crisis, treachery, blow 2. In the chart, rewrite the headlines below in the style of yellow journalism.

Remember, you want each title to include alarming Or sensational words that would prompt people to buy the paper and find out more. For example, a headline that reads “Politician Accused of Corruption” might be rewritten as “Scandal! Politician Caught in Shameless Crime! ” Headline Rewrite Dead Body Found in Creek Deceased Jane Doe found in Huntington Creek and too mutilated to be identified! Could we have a murderer on the loose? Grocery Store Robbed Thugs threaten our local businesses after the destructive robbery last night Coal Building Burned to the Ground Arson!! Local businesses and shops could be at risk!!

Don’t waste your time! Order your assignment!

It is a type of journalism that uses little to no true honest sources and just writes with catchy headlines and false gossip. It is all about catching the reader’s eye and getting them to read what is the supposed “latest gossip. ” It also uses a lot of pictures and cartoons that appeal to the eyes of the buyer. It was used to make money for newspaper companies. All they care about is the money and that the buyers enjoy what they put out. They do not care if their facts are legitimate or not. It is all about making money and it was discovered and used as a smart marketing move.

They also wanted to influence people of the United States at the time that war with Spain was necessary; therefore, they exaggerated all the war details and the war stories of what the Spanish were doing to the Cubans. There was a particular cartoon called “The Yellow Kid” that was used by the top magazines specifically by two men named Hearst and Pulitzer. This cartoon was very popular and it used yellow ink that caught buyer’s eye; therefore, the critics named the form of journalism after the cartoon. It was and still is used everywhere. It was originally discovered in New York City but its use and popularity did not stop there.

How to cite this assignment

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