The Origin of Yellow Journalism

  Back in the late 1890’s, a fierce competition developed between New York City’s two major newspapers. The players, both wealthy intrapreneurs, internationally known, and highly respected businessmen, engaged their newspapers in the practice of sensationalism and over-the-top exaggerations of the news in a nefarious attempt to sell the most newspapers. 

Their names; major newspaper publisher Joseph Pulitzer, who sold papers by printing giant headlines over lurid stories featuring crime, corruption, graphics, sex, and innuendo, and William Randolph Hearst who built the nation's largest newspaper chain and media company. Hearst was also known for his use of flamboyant methods emphasizing sensationalism and human interest stories. Hearst eventually acquired approximately 30 more newspapers in major American cities and later expanded to magazines, creating the largest newspaper and magazine business in the world. 

At first, yellow journalism had nothing to do with reporting, but instead was derived from a popular cartoon strip about life in New York’s slums, called Hogan’s Alley. It was drawn by Richard F. Outcault and published in color by Pulitzer’s New York World. The comic’s most well-known character came to be known as the Yellow Kid, and his popularity accounted in part for a tremendous increase in sales of the World. The practice of sensationalism and crude exaggeration earned the paper the name Yellow Press and Yellow Journalism, when the yellow ink used in the comics was used to highlight the sensational headlines both papers became known for. Not to be outdone, Hearst began to use yellow in his headlines as well.

Soon, newspapers across the nation picked up on the unethical and unprofessional headlining tactics. It didn’t take too long before newspapers associated with the practice became known simply as the yellow press. The routine of little or no legitimately well-researched news and the eye-catching headlines backfired, and newspaper circulation across the country suffered.       

By the middle of the 20th century, the news industry had somewhat lived down the negative moniker of yellow press or yellow journalism and survived the attitude of “Believe only half of what you see, and even less of what you read.” Most Americans by then had developed, at least to some degree, a trust in the media. Newspapers and TV news programs alike worked diligently to cultivate a relationship of confidence with their readers or viewers. 

While growing up in the 1950’ and 60’s we had two competing newspapers in our town. One was published overnight for early morning delivery and the other came out in the early afternoon for evening home delivery. Competition between the two wasn’t so much over the content, because they both pretty much covered the same news, but was most likely based more on the readers desire to read the news in the morning over a fresh cup of coffee, or in the evening after a long day’s work. But gradually, both ended up competing more with the 6 o’clock evening news on television. Obviously, this was way before CNN, CNBC, FOX NEWS, or the internet. 

Unfortunately, today’s press has deservingly earned ownership of a title much more demeaning than “yellow press.” President Trump rightfully addresses them as the “Fake News.” These journalists have reverted to the days of yellow journalism and one-upped Pulitzer and Hearst with techniques that not only include exaggerations of news events, scandal-mongering, and extreme sensationalism, but downright dishonest fabrication.

The term yellow journalism is used today as a pejorative to decry any journalism that treats news in an unprofessional or unethical fashion, but Fake News is just that. Fake News. And it deserves to be called just that. The so-called journalists and news organizations that disseminate fake news should be identified for their practice, shamed, and held to the higher standards of professional journalism as established by the Society of Profession Journalists, an organization nearly all professional journalists and news outlets belong to. 

Story by Gil Potts