Final answer:
Newspapers have historically used sensational front-page headlines and content to increase sales, especially during economic downturns, a practice known as yellow journalism. In modern times, the challenge of a struggling economy and decreased advertisements has led to newspapers laying off staff, shrinking in size, and turning to social media to engage readers.
Step-by-step explanation:
During challenging economic times, newspapers have sometimes resorted to sensational or scandalous front-page news to attract readers and maintain sales, a practice known as yellow journalism. Joseph Pulitzer's New York World is a prime example, where attention-grabbing headlines and content such as pictures, editorials, and cartoons, were used to retain and grow its audience. Similarly, the penny press era saw newspapers filled with entertaining content like gossip, racing, and weather, priced affordably to appeal to a broader readership. As media evolved, especially with the advent of the internet, newspapers have faced further financial challenges. Among the responses includes the integration of newspapers with social media platforms such as F_acebook and T_witter, where stories can be shared broadly, engaging with readers in new ways.
The poor economy has caused a significant decrease in advertisements, leading newspapers to cut staff, close foreign and domestic bureaus, and adapt by becoming leaner. Nevertheless, this downsizing has sometimes come at the expense of thorough investigative reporting, negatively impacting the level of knowledge about communities and states as newspapers folded or were acquired by larger conglomerates.