The peak of yellow journalism, in terms of both intensity and influence, came in early 1898, when a U.S. battleship, the Maine, sunk in Havana harbor. ... When a U.S. naval investigation later stated that the explosion had come from a mine in the harbor, the proponents of yellow journalism seized upon it and called for war. read more
Yellow journalism is a term coined just before the turn of the 20th century to refer to the sensationalistic, exaggerated journalism, particularly of the competing New York papers. It took its name from a cartoon character, the Yellow Kid. “Yellow journalism” refers to any sensationalistic reporting. read more
By extension, the term yellow journalism is used today as a pejorative to decry any journalism that treats news in an unprofessional or unethical fashion. The term is chiefly used in the US. In the UK, a roughly equivalent term is tabloid journalism, meaning journalism characteristic of tabloid newspapers, even if found elsewhere. read more