Final answer:
Reporters exaggerated the event of the USS Maine explosion in the Caribbean to cause the US to join the Spanish-American War.
Step-by-step explanation:
Reporters exaggerated the event of an American ship blowing up in the Caribbean in order to cause the American people to call for the US to join the Spanish-American war. The event referred to is the explosion of the USS Maine in Havana harbor in 1898. Although the cause of the explosion was not definitively determined, yellow journalism and exaggerated reports blamed Spain for the incident, which helped to fuel public sentiment and push the US towards war.
Learn more about Causes of the Spanish-American War