Yellow journalism in American media history

Yellow Journalism is a term used for the use of negligent and flamboyant newspaper reporting, without regard to facts. With yellow journalism the truth is usually misrepresented or concealed, more often than not, there may be no truth to the story at all. In its infancy, the term yellow journalism was used to describe the writing tactics used by William Hearst's New York Journal and Joseph Pulitzer's New York World. These men used yellow journalism to exaggerate and misguide the American public on happenings in Cuba; such reporting may have even sparked the Spanish-American war. Yellow journalism is by no means a memory in America's distant past; even the most conservative newspapers still practice it in a refined form today. Tabloids such as the Star and the Inquirer are notorious for sensationalizing and even falsifying headlines. Additionally, every once in a while straight edged newspapers papers such as the Wall Street Journal may get into the act as well. In 1996, ABC News was singled out for reporting that Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu had called then Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin a traitor, further investigation revealed that the accusation was false.

This paper will present a discussion on the past and present uses of yellow journalism and the impact that such reporting has had on history.

History of Yellow Journalism

Yellow journalism originated around 1896 when William Hearst's New York Journal and Joseph Pulitzer's New York World begin competing for readership. During these early times it was virtually impossible for individuals to fact check information for accuracy. The newspaper was the main source of information during these times, people trusted and believed what was reported. The reporting styles of these newspapers were filled with promotional stunts mainly focusing on attention grabbing headlines of sex crime and violence. These reports usually were extremely biased, inaccurate and exaggerated. Yellow journalism at that time did not promote journalistic integrity but resorted to remedial tactics to distort and essentially create news without regard to the truth.

In the late 1800's when the Cubans rebelled against the Spanish, the Journal and the World capitalized on these events by stretching the facts and reporting fabricated stories of human rights violations. The reports said that the Spanish committed almost every type of carnage imaginable to Cuban rebels. In 1898 when the Maine, a U.S. battleship patrolling the Havana harbor exploded, headlines the following day immediately blamed the Spanish, even though the true cause of the explosion was unknown. Newspaper headlines read, "Remember the Maine!" And Americans urged the U.S. government to rally behind Cuba and to assist the rebels in defeating the Spaniards. The entire livelihood of this period of yellow journalism can be characterized by a conversation that William Hearst had with one of his reporters Frederick Remington. Remington was sent to Cuba to report on the war, upon his arrival he realized that there was no war to report, he informed his boss, William Hearst about the lack of events transpiring. In a cable message, Hearst replied to Remington, "Please remain. You furnish the pictures, I'll furnish the war." Such is the heart of yellow journalism; the principles do not lie in factual reporting but rather sensationalizing events for the sole purpose selling newspapers.

Yellow Journalism Today

Today, there are hundreds if not thousands of newspapers in the United States, such fierce competition could explain why yellow journalism seems be making a comeback. Faced with deadlines and the never-ending quest to be first on the scene, reporters today are walking the fine line between accurate, factual reporting and using some subtle forms of yellow journalism. Alan Andrews, Editor of Pacific Stars and Stripes stated that certain journalistic techniques feed into the marginal use of yellow journalism such as the use of unnamed sources, journalists who interview other journalists regarding an important story and journalists who rewrite another's work without bothering to check for facts and new developments.

Yellow journalism can turn the girl next door into a top news story in the blink of an eye. Media outlets clamor over news stories that exemplify crime, violence and sex. In analyzing yellow journalism as it is used today we can consider a notable example. Would the Chandra Levy case been a national headline if she had not been a congressman's mistress? Or would she have just been another nameless missing person that received little, if any attention from the press? While the Chandra Levy issue was a legitimate case of a missing person, the media acted as hungry vultures seeking to pick apart the intimate details of Gary Condits life, reporting any story that had a twinge of drama or scandal. While this is not yellow journalism in its purest form, the media did go above and beyond the call of duty to unearth any information that could be sensationalized. The Chandra Levy case is by no means an isolated incident.

The horrible events of September 11th showed America for the first time in years "real" news. The coverage of the events of September 11th revealed that prior news coverage was not news coverage at all, but doctored up gossip. Have we not been conditioned to accept reports of OJ Simpson's new girlfriend, Michael Jackson's new nose job or the break up of Brittany Spears and Justin Timberlake as news, to some extent? The ethnical practices of most media outlets today provide as a gatekeeper so that true yellow journalism remains at bay.

However, there are those who believe that yellow journalism has a place in media today. An article from EPN worldreporter.com contends that "what drives today's 'yellow' journalists, however, isn't profit, or greedy publishers, or even career advancement, but outrage." A new form of journalism, called activist journalism allows activists and journalists alike to report on their view of current events. Such reporting puts a spin on traditional yellow journalism while retaining some of the most fundamental aspects.