ABSTRACT
“Yellow Journalism: Pulitzer and Hearst Battle for Readers” looks at the circulation war between publishing giants Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst. It provides examples of the sensational content of the era and shows how the competitive nature of the rivals affected subsequent media development, and it describes a style that had roots in the penny press, flourished at the turn of the twentieth century, and has made recurring appearances since then, all the way through today. Using materials from this chapter, students should understand how Pulitzer and Hearst took sensationalism to new levels, affecting a century of media development that followed. They should also be able to explain why the phrase “Remember the Maine” has special significance in the history of the press, and they should be able to identify particular stories published in the contemporary press that might qualify as yellow journalism. Key words, names, and phrases associated with Chapter 8 include: Joseph Pulitzer, the New York World; William Randolph Hearst, the New York Journal; yellow journalism and the Yellow Kid; and chain ownership.
