ABSTRACT
Frank Leslie's newspaper was the first successful American publication devoted to pictorial presentations of news events. His pictorial crusade against the underbelly of the swill milk business garnered public attention to what Leslie viewed as a public health crisis. The swill milk problem had all of the components for a compelling story, which also lent itself to being sensationalized: political corruption, business fraud, and social ills disproportionately affecting immigrant and poor populations. The swill milk business continued unregulated for many years, but that would all change in May 1858 when Leslie began a full-scale investigation. Leslie's coverage of swill milk in New York City and surrounding areas in antebellum America reflects aspects of sensationalism. Leslie's pictorial news content marks a significant development in the history of journalism between the penny press and the 1890s yellow papers, and the illustrated newspaper served as an agent of social change.
