US History

The Emergence of Modern America (1890-1930)

This collection uses primary sources to explore yellow journalism in the 1890s.

A cover of an issue of the satirical magazine *Puck* featuring an illustration captioned “The Cleansing of New York,” 1900.

The illustration on the cover of this issue of *Puck* depicts Joseph Pulitzer (left) and William Randolph Hearst (right) being held up by the white-gloved hand of the law while holding newspapers. Headlines on the papers feature the words “filth,” “scandal,” and “extra crime.” The caption reads, “The cleansing of New York, why not make a clean job of it while we’re at it?”

A cover of an issue of satirical magazine *Puck* featuring an illustration captioned, “The Democratic Microbes,” 1904. 

This illustration shows William Randolph Hearst as a large yellow microbe with dollar signs and “yellow journalism” written on his tail. The illustration is captioned: "The Democratic Microbes. Puck- Gentlemen, we have here the most dangerous germs in the body politic."

A political cartoon titled “Still Barking” by artist Clifford Berryman that appeared in *The Washington Post*, August 9, 1899.

This cartoon depicts a large, vicious dog with “Yellows” written on his collar barking at the gate of the White House showing disapproval of the US War Department's handling of the Spanish-American War. “Alger” is written on the brim of the hat tossed to the side. “Alger” is a reference to Russell Alexander Alger, a former US Senator and US Secretary of War during the time of the Spanish-American War. “Algerism” was often used synonymously with incompetence. 

An illustration of the battleship *USS Maine* from *Pictorial History of Our War with Spain for Cuba's Freedom*, by Trumbull White, ca. 1898.

This illustration shows the *USS Maine* before it exploded in Havana Harbor on February 15, 1898. The explosion, or alleged attack, of the USS Maine killed 266 men on board and pushed the United States into war with Spain. Though the cause of the explosion was undetermined, the event was the subject of sensational newspaper reporting, particularly by the *New York World* and *New York Journal*, which influenced popular opinion among the papers’ vast readership in support of going to war. Historians often identify news coverage of the explosion of the *USS Maine* as a starting point for the rise of yellow journalism.

A photograph of the wreck of the *USS Maine*, ca. 1898.

This photograph shows part of the wreckage of the *USS Maine* after it exploded in Havana Harbor on February 15, 1898. The explosion, or alleged attack, of the *USS Maine* killed 266 men on board and pushed the United States into war with Spain. Though the cause of the explosion was undetermined, the event was the subject of sensational newspaper reporting, particularly by the *New York World* and *New York Journal*, which influenced popular opinion among the papers’ vast readership in support of going to war. The nature of the coverage of this event is often attributed to the rise of yellow journalism. 

A sheet of music and lyrics for “The Dugan Kid Who Lives in Hogan’s Alley,” or The Yellow Kid, from the *New York World*, ca. 1896.

This song tells the story of the four-year-old “yellow kid,” who became popular throughout New York through cartoons in the *New York World* and *New York Journal*. This “plain little chap” became a symbol of yellow journalism and competition between the two newspapers.

A leaflet titled “The Yellow Kid” with cover art by cartoonist Richard F. Outcault.

This leaflet features Outcault’s “yellow kid” character and advertises a new humor magazine published by Howard, Ainslee, & Co., billed as “the best humorous magazine in the world.”

A poster advertising the *New York World*, 1890s.

This poster features an image of a woman standing with a rake and advertises the different types of articles and content regularly published in the *New York World*. Highlighted features include “special attention paid to politics,” “a department for farmers,” “a serial romance,” and “humor, poetry, advice by the doctor, scientific and mining notes.”


A photograph of Ervin Wardman, managing editor of the *New York Press*, 1901.

The *New York Press* was published from 1887 to 1916 during the height of yellow journalism and the circulation wars between Joseph Pulitzer’s *New York World* and William Randolph Hearst’s *New York Journal*. Editor Ervin Wardman first used the phrase “yellow journalism” to refer to the sensational style of Pulitzer and Hearst’s papers.

A photograph of the *New York Journal* office on Park Row, New York City, 1898.

In this photograph, news bulletins appear above the office entrance, and a crowd of men is gathered to read the current headlines. The newspaper’s circulation from the day before is prominently displayed above the news headlines as 1,319,115 and the paper bills itself as the “greatest on earth.” 

A political cartoon by Clifford Berryman about President William McKinley titled "Pesky, but Harmless," March 4, 1898.

This political cartoon depicts President William McKinley, who does not want to wage war in Cuba after the sinking of the *USS Maine*, being bothered by "jingo gnats." The gnats represent jingoism, or yellow journalism, failing in their attempt to sway him into a pro-war direction. A jingo is a term used to describe a very vocal supporter of policy favoring war, especially in the name of patriotism. 

Questions

1. Using the *Puck* covers featuring “[The Cleansing of New York](https://dp.la/primary-source-sets/fake-news-in-the-1890s-yellow-journalism/sources/1763),” and “[The Democratic Microbes](https://dp.la/primary-source-sets/fake-news-in-the-1890s-yellow-journalism/sources/1764),” and additional reference materials, describe how others in the newspaper industry regarded yellow journalists. How might yellow journalism have been regarded by the American public reading this magazine? What point(s) were the cartoonists making with these illustrations? In what ways do the cartoons employ accurate information and in what ways do they distort “facts” to make their point(s)? Do you think the *Puck* cartoonists’ critiques of yellow journalism would apply to today’s news media industry? Why or why not?
2. Using the sheet music for “[The Dugan Kid Who Lives in Hogan’s Alley](https://dp.la/primary-source-sets/fake-news-in-the-1890s-yellow-journalism/sources/1768)," and "[The Yellow Kid](https://dp.la/primary-source-sets/fake-news-in-the-1890s-yellow-journalism/sources/1769)" leaflet, describe how “The Yellow Kid” became a symbol for yellow journalism. 
3. Using the [illustration of the *USS Maine*](https://dp.la/primary-source-sets/fake-news-in-the-1890s-yellow-journalism/sources/1766), the [photograph of the wreck of the *USS Maine*](https://dp.la/primary-source-sets/fake-news-in-the-1890s-yellow-journalism/sources/1767), the political cartoon "[Pesky, but Harmless](https://dp.la/primary-source-sets/fake-news-in-the-1890s-yellow-journalism/sources/1773)," and additional resources, consider how yellow journalism influenced the start of the Spanish-American War. Why is yellow journalism often cited as the cause of the Spanish-American War? 
4. What issue does the political cartoon “[Still Barking](https://dp.la/primary-source-sets/fake-news-in-the-1890s-yellow-journalism/sources/1765)" address? Why was yellow journalism depicted as a violent barking dog? Do you think the dog is an appropriate symbol? What symbols or elements could be used in a political cartoon to represent the contemporary news media landscape?
5. What issue does the political cartoon "[Pesky, but Harmless](https://dp.la/primary-source-sets/fake-news-in-the-1890s-yellow-journalism/sources/1773)," address? Why did the cartoonist use gnats to represent jingos? The cartoon shows “yellow journalism,” “jingo sheet,” and “war shriek” cast aside in the waste paper basket. What does that suggest about President McKinley’s hesitancy about waging war in Cuba?
6. Examine the cover art in "[The Yellow Kid](https://dp.la/primary-source-sets/fake-news-in-the-1890s-yellow-journalism/sources/1769)" leaflet along with the “Note to the Reader” on page 2. How do the cartoonist and the author convey the perspective of the publication? What message does this leaflet communicate to readers? Why did journalists use satire to depict societal angst and serious issues?

Activity

1. Ask students to conduct a classroom debate about whether yellow journalism should be illegal. Students should use the sources in this set, as well as additional evidence to support their claim. Students should consider questions such as how yellow journalism and fake news threaten freedom of the press and whether limiting free press threatens democracy in America when constructing their arguments. 
2. Ask students to design a political cartoon or write a news article depicting a past or current event using the characteristics of yellow journalism including sensationalism, embellishment, and hyperbole. 


Teaching Guide: Exploring Yellow Journalism

Resources

1. “[Back in the 1890s, fake news helped start a war](https://www.pri.org/stories/2016-12-08/long-and-tawdry-history-yellow-journalism-america),” Public Radio International (PRI), December 8, 2016.  
2. "[Yellow Journalism: The ‘Fake News’ of the 19th Century](https://publicdomainreview.org/collections/yellow-journalism-the-fake-news-of-the-19th-century/)," *The Public Domain Review*. 
3. [Crucible of Empire: Yellow Journalism](http://www.pbs.org/crucible/frames/_journalism.html), PBS. 

Overview

Alternative facts, fake news, and post-truth have become common terms in the contemporary news industry. Today, social media platforms allow sensational news to “go viral,” crowdsourced news from ordinary people to compete with professional reporting, and public figures in offices as high as the US presidency to bypass established media outlets when sharing news. However, dramatic reporting in daily news coverage predates the smartphone and tablet by over a century. In the late nineteenth century, the news media war between Joseph Pulitzer’s *New York World* and William Randolph Hearst’s *New York Journal* resulted in the rise of yellow journalism, as each newspaper used sensationalism and manipulated facts to increase sales and attract readers.

Many trace the origin of yellow journalism to coverage of the sinking of the *USS Maine* in Havana Harbor on February 15, 1898, and America’s entry in the [Spanish-American War](https://dp.la/primary-source-sets/sets/american-imperialism-the-spanish-american-war). Both papers’ reporting on this event featured sensational headlines, jaw-dropping images, bold fonts, and aggrandizement of facts, which influenced public opinion and helped incite America’s involvement in what Hearst termed the “Journal’s War.” 

The practice, and nomenclature, of yellow journalism actually predates the war, however. It originated with a popular comic strip character known as The Yellow Kid in Hogan’s Alley. Created by Richard F. Outcault in 1895, Hogan’s Alley was published in color by Pulitzer’s *New York World*. When circulation increased at the *New York World*, William Randolph Hearst lured Outcault to his newspaper, the *New York Journal*. Pulitzer fought back by hiring another artist to continue the comic strip in his newspaper. 

The period of peak yellow journalism by the two New York papers ended in the late 1890s, and each shifted priorities, but still included investigative exposés, partisan political coverage, and other articles designed to attract readers. Yellow journalism, past and present, conflicts with the principles of journalistic integrity. Today, media consumers will still encounter sensational journalism in print, on television, and online, as media outlets use eye-catching headlines to compete for audiences. To distinguish truth from “fake news,” readers must seek multiple viewpoints, verify sources, and investigate evidence provided by journalists to support their claims. 


English

Fake News in the 1890s: Yellow Journalism

yellow-journalism_02_17916e2d869d9f8a703aadff06faa041.jpg

Courtesy of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo via California Digital Library.

“The Democratic Microbes,' Puck Magazine, 1904,” Digital Public Library of America, https://dp.la/item/17916e2d869d9f8a703aadff06faa041.

A cover of an issue of satirical magazine Puck featuring an illustration captioned, “The Democratic Microbes,” 1904.

Cite this item

Tips for Students

Item 2 of 11 in the Primary Source Set Fake News in the 1890s: Yellow Journalism