yellow journalism

Yellow journalism is a term coined in the 1890s to describe sensational coverage of events in newspapers to attract readers and boost circulation. In many ways, it was its day’s version of “clickbait” or “fake news.” While the term came to be used broadly for irresponsible reporting, it had its origins in the fierce competition between two New York City papers, the New York World and the New York Journal, and their hard-charging, high-profile publishers, respectively, Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst.

Why Is It Called “Yellow Journalism”?

Yellow journalism gets its name from a New York World comic strip created by Richard F. Outcault that featured “the Yellow Kid.” When William Randolph Hearst bought the New York Journal to compete with Joseph Pulitzer’s dominant World, he hired away Outcault. Pulitzer then hired George B. Luks to copy the Yellow Kid. The rivalry of the Yellow Kids came to symbolize the rivalry of the publishers and the tactics they used to attract audiences.

Pulitzer had purchased the New York World in 1883 and, using colorful, sensational reporting and crusades against political corruption and social injustice, had won the largest newspaper circulation in the country. His supremacy was challenged in 1895 when Hearst, the son of a California mining tycoon, moved to New York City and bought the rival Journal. Hearst, who had already built the San Francisco Examiner into a hugely successful mass-circulation paper, soon made it plain that he intended to do the same in New York City by outdoing his competitors in sensationalism, crusades, and Sunday features.

This all-out rivalry, driven by competition for mass readership, led to large circulations for both papers and encouraged the adoption of attention-grabbing techniques—characterized by sensationalism, exaggeration, and the prioritization of reader appeal over restraint—that were subsequently emulated by other newspapers, contributing to a broader shift in journalistic style toward visual presentation and sensational content.

Discover how ordinary objects work, and expand your understanding of the familiar.

SIGN UP

" height="20" alt="HEW Logo">

Thank you for signing up!"

Back to homepage

By clicking "Sign Up", you consent to the Britannica Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

In addition to transforming newspaper practices, yellow journalism contributed to shaping public opinion on foreign affairs. In the late 1890s Hearst sent reporters to cover unfolding events in Cuba, then under Spanish rule. That reporting often emphasized atrocities and dramatic narratives, which helped generate public sympathy for Cuban independence and increased pressure on the U.S. government to intervene. Hearst’s interests involved economics far more than foreign affairs: Impending war sold newspapers.

On February 15, 1898, the USS Maine exploded in Havana Harbor, Cuba, leading to the deaths of 260 people on board. Pulitzer and Hearst had their circulation boon. Hearst’s Journal, in particular, laid blame for the disaster with the Spanish and published headlines calling for action by the U.S. government. Slogans such as “Remember the Maine, to hell with Spain!” became a rallying cry.

The ultimate cause of the sinking of the Maine remains unclear to this day, but there is evidence that it was a tragic accident. Nuance, however, was not part of the press coverage driven by Hearst and Pulitzer, and that coverage was impossible for U.S. Pres. William McKinley to miss. It may be hyperbolic to say that yellow journalism was responsible for the start of the Spanish-American War later in 1898, but it certainly contributed to public opinion leading up to the war.

The era of yellow journalism may be said to have ended shortly after the turn of the 20th century. After the end of the Spanish-American War, Pulitzer withdrew the World from the sensational arena of yellow journalism. Some techniques of the yellow journalism period—specifically banner headlines, color comics (followed by color photography), and graphics and illustration—became fixtures of American newspapers. Throughout the 20th and 21st centuries other media, most notably television and the Internet, adopted many practices reminiscent of yellow journalism. Today, sensational stories—including high-stakes elections and wars—drive increased traffic to news websites and viewership of news channels.

Explore Britannica Premium!

The trusted destination for professionals, college students, and lifelong learners.

SUBSCRIBE

Learn more

Joseph Pulitzer: The man who gave us the prizes

William Randolph Hearst: The man who inspired Citizen Kane

Misinformation and disinformation: Why they matter

News literacy: Telling fact from fiction