Sensationalism Unleashed: Unravelling the Rise of Yellow Journalism

Exploring the Manipulative Power of Emotional Appeals and the Impact on Modern Media

Press Wars: The Fiery Genesis of Yellow Journalism

In the late 19th century, a fierce rivalry between two prominent New York City newspapers, the New York World (owned by Pulitzer 1) and the Journal (owned by Hearst 2), gave birth to a sensational journalistic style known as Yellow Journalism (3).

What is purpose of Yellow Journalism? Its aim is to appeal to the reader’s emotions directly. The Yellow Kid was a successful cartoon strip printed in Pulitzer’s New York World. But Hearst lured the cartoonist to work for him. Pulitzer hired a different cartoonist to keep the Yellow Kid alive in his newspaper. So, there were two competing Yellow Kid strips in both papers. Both versions ended in 1898.(4)

This rivalry, coupled with the success of the cartoon strip “The Yellow Kid” led to the label – Yellow Journalism. This shameless sensationalism, fuelled by emotional appeals and relentless crusades for or against various causes, resulted in significant increases in both papers’ circulations and had a lasting impact on journalism across America.

During the era of Yellow Journalism, not alone in doing this, both the New York City and the New York World newspapers ran sensationalised stories to attract readers and increase circulation. Here are a couple of examples of the types of stories that were published:

Cuban Revolution and the USS Maine (1898):

As tensions escalated between Spain and the United States during the Cuban Revolution, the newspapers covered the events extensively. The sinking of the USS Maine in Havana Harbour on February 15, 1898, was a pivotal moment. Both newspapers eagerly covered the incident, using dramatic headlines and emotionally charged language to suggest that the Spanish government was responsible for the explosion that sank the ship, resulting in the loss of 260 American lives. The coverage fuelled anti-Spanish sentiment and played a role in pushing public opinion towards supporting the Spanish-American War. (5)

The Murder of Helen Jewett (1836):

In 1836, the newspapers extensively covered the sensational murder of a young prostitute named Helen Jewett, who was brutally killed in her New York City brothel. One of her regular clients, Richard Robinson, was tried and sensationally acquitted of her murder. Jewett’s murder and Robinson’s subsequent trial was one of the first sex scandals to receive detailed press reporting. The coverage led to a split in public opinion. Some felt Jewett had brought it upon herself, while others accused Robinson of using his influence to evade justice.

The newspapers exploited the details of the crime, delving into salacious and graphic descriptions, making the story a sensation. The coverage sensationalised the case, turning it into a major scandal that captivated readers and sold many copies of the newspapers. (6)

These examples illustrate how both newspapers used dramatic storytelling, emotional appeals, and exaggeration to draw readers’ attention and create public interest in their reporting. While some of the stories contained elements of truth, the newspapers’ primary focus was on maximising readership and circulation through sensationalism rather than delivering objective and balanced news coverage.

Tugging Heartstrings: The Power of Emotional Appeals in Yellow Journalism

One of the key factors that made Yellow Journalism so successful was its adept use of emotional appeals to sway readers’ beliefs and behaviour. By provoking readers’ feelings and connecting claims with potential emotional outcomes, Yellow Journalism manipulated public opinion. While emotional appeals can sometimes be used genuinely and effectively in persuasion, Yellow Journalism often resorted to fallacious tactics. It replaced rational thought, used stereotypes to create divisions, and evoked quick reactions to complex issues, all while manipulating emotions like fear, hate, anger, and jealousy instead of relying on facts and valid arguments.

An appeal to emotion attempts to provoke your feelings to make you believe something or change your behaviour. It follows:

Claim→ Emotional Appeal→ Call to Action

This claim is true. Think of how awful you will feel if it is not true. Or: This claim is true. Think about how happy you will be if it is true!

These statements have you considering your future emotions to determine your belief about the statement. An emotional appeal can be a friendly approach when the speaker is attempting to persuade you by using emotions as the basis of their argument, but it can mislead or disguise a weak argument.

When used fallaciously, emotional appeals:

Act as a replacement for rational thought of any kind
Use stereotypes to pit groups against each other (often happens in politics)
Evoke a swift reaction to a complex issue
Use emotions such as fear, hate, anger, jealousy to manipulate people instead of convincing them with facts and validity

The appeal to emotion is a logical fallacy which manipulates emotions to strengthen and support the conclusion of an erroneous argument.

Appeals to emotion can be highly effective, and are used in many contexts:

Provide an excessive number of arguments with no regard for the accuracy or strength of those arguments, or using an unnecessarily large number of words to express an idea

Presenting relevant quotes or anecdotes

Using stories or metaphors

Making misleading comparisons

Using charged and potentially misleading language

Delivering statements passionately

Overwhelm people and make it harder for them to analyse arguments logically

Clicks, Shares, Controversy: How Social Media Propelled Yellow Journalism

With the advent of social media, Yellow Journalism found an even more fertile ground for its biased sensationalism, shaping public opinion in unprecedented ways.Social media platforms provided an instantaneous and far-reaching channel for disseminating this style of journalism and eliciting strong public reactions. The race for likes, shares, and followers became a primary goal, leading to the spread of unverified or misleading information without proper fact-checking or source review. This has given rise to the spread of fake news and distorted narratives, often driven by the desire to be the first to break a story with a personalised twist.

Today, stories can quickly go viral because of our reaction through the use of technology at our fingertips. Media outlets are being redefined because of this. Social media, such as Twitter, can inform News Bulletins and vice versa. Rise of bot farms and click bots feeds into news sources, individual influencers and how we get persuaded or affected by information.

Competition for space in our minds is fierce and principally we have the tendency to process information in a faulty and usually biased way, which prefers intuitive emotional reasoning over fact-based analytical reasoning.

Even we consider whether a certain opinion or behaviour will make us feel good or bad when it is irrelevant to the argument being made. This can make it harder for us to identify the true issue.

Today, Yellow Journalism can be found not only in traditional media but also in various online platforms, including social media influencers who employ clickbait titles and thumbnails to capture audiences’ attention, often at the expense of accuracy. Technological advancements have made it easier for sensational stories to go viral, shaping media outlets and influencing public opinions in ways previously unimaginable.

When Facts Take a Backseat: Unraveling the Emotional Tactics

The power of emotional appeals in persuasion cannot be denied, as humans are inherently emotional beings. This is nothing new. Aristotle, the ancient Greek philosopher, was a pioneer in the study of rhetoric and persuasion. In his influential work “Rhetoric,” he outlined three essential elements of persuasive communication.

logos (appeal to logic) ✔︎
ethos (appeal to credibility and ethics) ✔︎
pathos (appeal to emotion) ✔︎

Pathos, in particular, played a crucial role in Aristotle’s persuasion technique.

According to Aristotle, appealing to the emotions of the audience was an effective means of persuading them to accept a particular argument or viewpoint. He believed that emotions were an integral part of human decision-making and that a well-crafted emotional appeal could resonate deeply with the audience, evoking empathy, sympathy, or even passion. Aristotle identified several key emotions that could be harnessed for persuasion, including fear, anger, pity, and joy.

To effectively employ pathos, Aristotle emphasised the importance of understanding the emotions and values of the target audience. By tailoring the message to align with the audience’s emotions and interests, the speaker could establish a powerful connection and increase the likelihood of winning them over. However, Aristotle also cautioned against excessive emotional manipulation, as it could lead to the audience feeling manipulated or deceived, undermining the credibility of the speaker. So it is crucial to recognise and address the logical weaknesses and manipulative tactics employed in Yellow Journalism. To avoid falling into the trap of emotional appeals, we must engage in critical thinking and rely on a combination of facts and logical reasoning to present compelling arguments and to disseminate real from fake news, opinion from fact.

Aristotle’s recognition of the power of emotions in persuasion has had a lasting impact on rhetoric and communication strategies. Even today, public speakers, advertisers, and politicians use emotional appeals to sway opinions and shape public sentiment. The balance between logic, credibility, and emotion remains a fundamental aspect of persuasive communication, and Aristotle’s insights continue to be studied and applied in various fields to this day. (7)

Truth and Trust: Reclaiming Responsible Journalism in the Digital Era

The power of media manipulation, especially through techniques like Yellow Journalism, can be both fascinating and concerning. Sensationalism and emotional appeals have the potential to deeply influence public opinion, shape narratives, and even impact historical events. The ability to tap into people’s emotions and provoke strong reactions is a double-edged sword—it can be used for noble causes, such as inspiring positive change and rallying support for important issues, but it can also be exploited for nefarious purposes, spreading misinformation and inciting fear and division.

As consumers of information, it is essential to be vigilant and critical about the sources and content we encounter. Being aware of the techniques used in media and understanding how emotions can be manipulated allows us to make more informed judgments and guard against falling prey to misinformation or biased narratives. Engaging in fact-checking, seeking diverse perspectives, and cultivating critical thinking skills are vital steps in navigating the media landscape responsibly.

Moreover, media literacy is becoming increasingly important in the digital age, where information spreads rapidly and can reach a global audience within moments. By being mindful of our emotional responses to news and information, we can make more reasoned and objective decisions, fostering a healthier and more informed society. As citizens of the information age, it is crucial to stay aware, discerning, and open to different viewpoints, ensuring that we are active participants in shaping our understanding of the world around us.

The rise of Yellow Journalism during the late 19th century marked a significant turning point in the world of media. Its shameless sensationalism, use of emotional appeals, and fierce competition between newspapers revolutionised journalism, leaving a lasting impact that still resonates today. With the advent of social media and advanced technology, the prevalence of Yellow Journalism has only intensified, presenting challenges in discerning truth from manipulation. Let’s move forward with studying Aristotle’s ‘Rhetoric’, cultivating critical thinking skills, developing research skills and fact-checking techniques. Being ever vigilant in evaluating sources, and acknowledging the role of emotions in persuasion, we can better navigate the information landscape and make informed decisions based on both facts and rational judgment.

References:

1 – Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. “Joseph Pulitzer”. Encyclopedia Britannica, (2023) https://www.britannica.com/biography/Joseph-Pulitzer.

Morris, James McGrath (2010) Pulitzer: A Life in Politics, Print and Power, a scholarly biography. Harper Perennial.

2 – Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. William Randolph Hearst | American newspaper publisher. Encyclopedia Britannica, (2023) https://www.britannica.com/biography/William-Randolph-Hearst

3- Campbell, Joseph W. (2003). Yellow Journalism: Puncturing the Myths, Defining the Legacies. Praeger.

4 – Olson, Richard D. (2016) “R. F. Outcault, The Father of the American Sunday Comics, and the Truth About the Creation of the Yellow Kid”. Neponset.com.

Wood, Mary (2004). The Yellow Kid on paper and stage, Contemporary illustrations.

5 – Whyte, Kenneth (2009). The Uncrowned King: The Sensational Rise of William Randolph Hearst. Berkeley: Counterpoint.

Young, Greg , (2020) The War on Newspaper Row: Pulitzer, Hearst and the Sinking of the USS Maine.Bowery Boy. https://www.boweryboyshistory.com/2020/08/the-war-on-newspaper-row-pulitzer-hearst-and-the-sinking-of-the-uss-maine.html

6 – Cohen, Patricia Cline (1998). The Murder of Helen Jewett: The Life and Death of a Prostitute in Nineteenth-century New York. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

7 – Kenny, Anthony J.P. and Amadio, Anselm H.. “Aristotle”. Encyclopedia Britannica, (2021) https://www.britannica.com/biography/Aristotle

The Rhetoric translated by Kennedy, George (1991) Aristotle On Rhetoric. A Theory of Civic Discourse. New York/Oxford: Oxford University Press – Rhetoric appeals and Method