Yellow Journalism
Overview
Yellow journalism is a term that developed in the late 19th century for sensationalist (or empirically false) journalist articles, especially that published by William Randolph Hearst and his rival Joseph Pulitzer. The name is based on one of the first full color comic strips in the newspaper, The Yellow Kid, which was in both of their newspapers at different times.[1]
Modern Equivalency
Yellow journalism was the 1890s version of clickbait. News was made more shocking and sensational (and misreported) to attract more readers. Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst, mentioned above, were in competition to steal readership from each other, so they employed tactics to draw readers away from each other that came to be known as yellow journalism.[2] It's a product of capitalism, basically, which is interesting. I wonder if clickbait has a similar origin story.
Notes
- ↑ Robinson, Solveig C. (2014). The Book in Society. Broadview Press: 215
- ↑ “Yellow Journalism | Definition, History, & Facts | Britannica.” Encyclopedia Britannica, 18 Nov. 2025, https://www.britannica.com/topic/yellow-journalism.
