Question

How did yellow journalism contribute to the spanish-american war?

Answer 1

Yellow journalism significantly influenced the Spanish-American War by sensationalizing Spanish atrocities in Cuba and falsely attributing the USS Maine's explosion to Spain, thus swaying public opinion in favor of war and allowing newspapers to increase circulation.

Step-by-step explanation:

Contribution of Yellow Journalism to the Spanish-American War

Yellow journalism played a significant role in swaying public opinion and contributing to the onset of the Spanish-American War. Major newspapers in the 1890s, such as William Randolph Hearst's New York Journal and Joseph Pulitzer's New York World, competed fiercely for readership. They utilized sensationalist reporting, with eye-catching headlines and scant regard for the facts, to generate public support for the war. In particular, these newspapers chronicled alleged atrocities committed by Spain in its Cuban colony, with the explosion of the USS Maine serving as a rallying cry, falsely attributed to Spanish aggression by yellow journalists.

Media magnates like Hearst and Pulitzer understood that warfare provided "sensational copy" that could boost newspaper sales. This style of reporting often involved inflammatory headlines and dramatization of events, setting the precedent for click-bait and fake news we are familiar with today. The impact of yellow journalism ensured that the American public was primed for intervention, thus aiding the push towards war.

Answer 2

Yellow journalism did not, ultimately, start the war on its own; it was the sinking of the USS Maine that provided the trigger, not some fabricated story created by Hearst of Pulitzer