yellow journalism

British  

noun

1. the type of journalism that relies on sensationalism and lurid exaggeration to attract readers

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yellow journalism Cultural  

1. Inflammatory, irresponsible reporting by newspapers. The phrase arose during the 1890s, when some American newspapers, particularly those run by William Randolph Hearst, worked to incite hatred of Spain, thereby contributing to the start of the Spanish-American War. Newspapers that practice yellow journalism are called yellow press.

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Etymology

Origin of yellow journalism

C19: perhaps shortened from the phrase Yellow Kid journalism, referring to the Yellow Kid, a cartoon (1895) in the New York World, a newspaper having a reputation for sensationalism

Example Sentences

The video recalls the yellow journalism of William Randolph Hearst’s New York Journal — only now, what once took hours to print and eventually reached thousands can be created in seconds and seen by millions.

From Salon • Nov. 29, 2025

He accused the Telegraph of yellow journalism and “effectively putting words in one’s mouth.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 3, 2023

If the yellow journalism of the 19th century can be defined by the sensationalistic “if it bleeds, it leads” mentality, pink slime is the opposite.

From Washington Post • Aug. 12, 2022

This style of coverage became known as yellow journalism.

From Textbooks • Jul. 28, 2021

His methods of agitation and his popular catch words are an ingenious adaptation of Jefferson to the needs of political "yellow journalism."

From The Promise of American Life by Croly, Herbert David