Yellow Journalism

Real World Example

Yellow journalism played a significant role during the period of US Imperialism between 1890-1920 by exaggerating events and stirring public emotions to influence government decisions, such as pushing the United States into the Spanish-American War. Newspapers used eye-catching headlines and sensational stories to sell more papers, often prioritizing profits over factual reporting. This type of journalism responded to the public's hunger for dramatic stories and played on their emotions, which sometimes led to misguided support for imperialistic actions. Today, yellow journalism still matters as it can be seen in how some social media platforms or websites spread exaggerated or misleading information to capture attention, influencing opinions and behaviors. For example, a sensationalized news article about a health scare can cause widespread panic and misinformation, impacting how people make important decisions about their well-being.