Question

The front page of the New York Journal and Advertiser is shown.
The paper is from February 17, 1989 and the headlines are as follows:
Inside the masthead of the paper is the headline “$50,000 Reward. Who Destroyed the Maine? $50,000 Reward.” Under the newspaper masthead, the main headline, “Destruction of the War Ship Maine was the Work of an Enemy,” stretches across the entire paper. Under the main headline, printed on both sides of the paper, is the identical sub-headline “50,000 Reward! For the Detection of the Perpetrator of the Maine Outrage!” Under each of these sub-headlines is an article but the print is so small, the reader cannot make it out. In the middle, under the masthead, and between the two identical sub-headings it the additional subheading, “Assistant Secretary Roosevelt Convinced the Explosion was not as Accident.” This is followed with the information “The Journal offers $50,000 Reward for the Conviction of Criminals Who Sent 258 American Sailors to Their Death. Naval Officers Unanimous that the Ship was Destroyed on Purpose.”

Using the image of the front page and the knowledge you attained from the lesson, identify the headlines that could be described as yellow journalism and explain how these headlines and their stories might have played a major role in U.S. involvement in the Spanish-American War.
(4 points)

Answer 1

Headlines that are yellow journalism (from the front page image)
- “Destruction of the War Ship Maine was the Work of an Enemy.”
- “$50,000 Reward. Who Destroyed the Maine? $50,000 Reward.”
- “50,000 Reward! For the Detection of the Perpetrator of the Maine Outrage!”
- “Assistant Secretary Roosevelt Convinced the Explosion was not an Accident” (and the line “Naval Officers Unanimous that the Ship was Destroyed on Purpose.”)

Why these are yellow journalism and how they pushed the U.S. into war
1. Sensationalism and certainty without evidence: the headlines assert blame (“was the work of an enemy,” “destroyed on purpose”) and publish dramatic claims (Roosevelt “convinced” it was not an accident) even though the cause was not proven. That is a hallmark of yellow journalism—provocative, unverified allegations to sell papers.

2. Emotional appeal and outrage: the large reward and phrases like “outrage” and the emphasis on 258 dead dramatize the event and stoke public anger and grief, creating a moral urgency for action.

3. Shaping public opinion: repeated, loud accusations in mass‑circulation papers made “Remember the Maine!” a rallying cry. Many Americans came to believe Spain had deliberately sunk the ship, increasing popular support for intervention.

4. Political pressure toward war: inflamed public opinion pressured politicians and the administration to take a harder line. Yellow‑press coverage helped create the atmosphere in which the U.S. government moved from diplomacy to declaring war on Spain in 1898.

(Combined effect: sensational headlines amplified fear and outrage, spread a simple blame narrative, and helped convert public sentiment into political momentum for war.)