Yellow Journalism... Fake News?

 Yellow journalism is known to be a style of writing or media that intends to grab a reader's attention through the use of exaggerated headlines or story-based writing in an effort to boost sales. The term, Yellow Journalism was coined in 1896 when the use of a cartoon the "Yellow Kid" in newspapers to increase sales. The addition of cartoons to increase sales quickly turned into story-telling or "dime novels" used for the same purpose.

Yellow Journalism used extreme exaggeration and sensationalism to shift public opinion, initiate war and push perspectives. A key starting point of Yellow Journalism or fake news occurred in the 1890s around the start of the Spanish-American war. The media fabricated a story about the sinking of the U.S.S. Maine in the Havana Harbor, supposedly caused by the Spanish. Although the story was fake, many news companies ran with headlines deeming the Spanish attacked the U.S. ship, inevitability starting the Spanish-American War.

Throughout history fake news or Yellow Journalism soared through the media, swaying public opinion and playing direct roles in the start of wars. We see misinformation ensue throughout the Vietnam War with the use of new video technology, and both WWI and WWII through over propaganda to influence elections. In later years the media directly influences public and political opinion with the use of propaganda strategies during the Cold War and the War in Afghanistan.

Currently, fake news is a common topic among U.S. citizens. We have seen an abundance of fake news claims throughout the pandemic with COVID-19. Depending on which news station you listen to or what articles you read will determine the "facts" you see. The media has pushed COVID-19 to have a relationship with politics and played a role in the 2020 election cycle. 

The media uses Yellow Journalism or more commonly known as fake news to grab the attention of viewers or readers. As a result of exaggerated headlines or stories, public opinion may shift, wars may ensue, and politics may be affected.

Sources:

https://history.state.gov/milestones/1866-1898/yellow-journalism#:~:text=Yellow%20journalism%20was%20a%20style,territory%20by%20the%20United%20States.

https://reporter.rit.edu/features/war-propaganda-and-misinformation-evolution-fake-news

Mary Margaret McBride- The Lady of the Radio

 Mary Margaret McBride... a writer and journalist who became one of the most popular radio broadcasters from the 1930s-50s. McBride was born in Paris, Missouri in 1899 to farming parents, McBride went on to attend William Woods College. McBride paid her way through school by working a part-time job at a local newspaper, the Paris Mercury. Mary gained practical experience, and the paper's editor encouraged her to get a college education.

McBride earned a journalism degree from the University of Missouri in 1918. She was in and out of work writing books under pseudonyms until 1934 when she found her calling after auditioning for a women's radio show. She was hired to portray a fictional grandmother, and in less than 3 weeks, she revealed the lie and portrayed herself as a reporter. 

Mary went on to have weekly radio shows, interviewed celebrities from politics, entertainment, and the arts. Over her career, McBride conducted over 30,000 interviews, and 6-8 million men and women listened to her show daily. In 1994, McBride was celebrated in Madison Square Garden where Eleanor Roosevelt introduced her to 18,000 people. 

Mary Margaret McBride retired in 1954 but continued broadcasting from her living room. McBride is remembered as the first lady of the radio, and her listeners appreciated that she did not talk down on them but took them seriously as people. McBride will be remembered as a woman who brought black figures onto the show, took advantage of the anonymizing quality of the radio, and played as an important forerunner for talk radio and television talk show personalities.

Sources

https://historicmissourians.shsmo.org/mary-margaret-mcbride

https://library.missouri.edu/specialcollections/exhibits/show/heroes/mcbride

Institutions & Publications of the Press... What's Important?

 

From standard newspapers to cartoons, the press has been at the forefront of news and media throughout history. In the early years of the media, most publications were in the form of newspapers and most commonly consisted of politics or war-related information. Many of the newspapers and institutions in history still publish today. 

The Chicago Tribune was one of the leading newspapers in the U.S. begining in 1847, only a few years before the Civil War. At the start of the Chicago Tribune, most issues were politically focused and showed clear support of president Lincoln during the war. The paper became one of the first to use color printing presses, publish a color photograph in the paper, and the first to maintain reporting staff on Capitol Hill.

Much later in U.S. media history, the use of cartoons began to convey political messages. The American Association of Editorial Cartoonist began in 1957 around the time of the Vietnam war. The association used art or cartoons to express public opinion and convey messages. The cartoons used much exaggeration and irony to draw the attention of the community and share political ideas. 

Numerous insititutions arose throughout U.S. history that made a tremendous impact on the country. The Liberator focused on equality and abolishment of slavery, the National Press Club became a small community of media professionals to share ideas and make announcements, and the New-York Tribune issued political news, crime, and poetry. While each institution focused on different ideas, all focused on ideas central to the lives of the community including politics, entertainment and cultural movements.

What is the NPPA?

                

The National Press Photographers Association (NPPA), founded in 1946, fought to allow cameras in courtrooms and improve government and media relations. American photographer, Joseph Costa founded the organization to bring photographers, videographers, editors, and journalism students into the media realm. The NPPA housed the first female national press photographer, Marion Carpenter, who covered D.C., the White House, and traveled alongside the president

The first issue from the NPPA of 1946 in Boston MA, began by saying, “We’ve got a voice, finally, and we’re going to make use of it. No false modesty. No muffling of that voice under a barrel. We’re going to yell so loud- when the occasion demands, and not just for fun of hearing ourselves shout- that those in this country who have been injuring us with scant courtesy will begin to realize that here is a new force to be reckoned with."

                

The association advocates on behalf of many photographers and videographers during legal disputes. Between the years 2019 and 2020, the NPPA advocated for a photographer, Fredrick Allen, when he sued the state of North Carolina for copyright infringement. North Carolina used Allen's photos of Queen Anne's Revenge off of the North Carolina coast. The NPPA places an emphasis on photojournalism to allow stories to be told through the use of photos. 

Sources:

https://nppa.org/about

https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/19pdf/18-877_dc8f.pdf

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Press_Photographers_Association