Final answer:
News stories that could affect a family's income or change a community's laws relate to 'public interest.' Articles of this nature are important to many people, unlike yellow journalism, which focuses on sensationalism.
Step-by-step explanation:
News stories about issues that could affect a family's income or change a community's laws are stories of public interest. These stories focus on matters that are important to the general public and have the potential to affect many people's lives.
In contrast, sensationalized coverage of scandals and human interest stories, often referred to as yellow journalism, aims to attract readers by exaggerating or sensationalizing news. It tends to focus on eye-catching headlines over factual reporting, as was the case during the late 19th century when media magnates like William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer used sensationalism to sell newspapers. Therefore, the correct answer to the student's question is D) Public interest.