Final answer:
Yellow journalism is a style of news reporting that emphasizes sensationalized stories and headlines to draw in readers and increase sales, as seen in The New York World.
Its goal was to boost circulation and advertising revenue at the expense of factual accuracy and journalistic integrity.
Step-by-step explanation:
The New York World, under Joseph Pulitzer, mastered this art by presenting sensational and scandalous stories on the front page to attract readers and boost newspaper sales. This approach involved inflammatory headlines and lurid stories that often lacked substantial evidence or were loosely based on facts - a tactic analogous to today's click-bait.
The goal of yellow journalism was to create emotional responses in readers, thereby increasing circulation and ultimately, revenue through increased ad sales. Competition among newspapers led to a journalism arms race, where truth was often the first casualty.
Such reporting played a significant role in the period leading up to the Spanish-American War, where newspapers like The New York World and the New York Journal used stunning visuals and bold headlines to incite public opinion in favor of the war.
Although this type of journalism accounted for a large increase in readership and subsequently, profits, it would draw criticism for its manipulative practices and disregard for objective reporting.