Yellow Journalism

How did yellow journalism influence public opinion during the Spanish-American war, and why is it important to recognize sensationalism in news today? This lesson and activity examines the definition, background and impact of yellow journalism during the imperialism era. Students will analyze primary and secondary source documents. They’ll then answer corresponding scaffolding questions. They will answer the final summary question to apply their knowledge.

Included in this resource:

Do Now - “The Yellow Kid” primary source political cartoon and quote analysis with scaffolding questions
Yellow Journalism reading passage with scaffolding questions
William Randolph Hearst POV with scaffolding questions
Joseph Pulitzer POV with scaffolding questions
Create your own Yellow Journalism headline activity with rubric included
Application/Closing/Higher-Order Thinking Assessment: Why did yellow journalism have such a powerful impact on America’s decision to go to war with Spain, and how can sensationalized news affect people’s opinions today?
Answer key for teachers (suggested)
★ Please make an executive decision whether or not this lesson can be executed with your students based upon the preview file. Thank you!

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