Final answer:
Yellow journalism refers to the sensationalistic and often exaggerated reporting style in newspapers during the late 1800s and early 1900s, aimed at boosting sales through eye-catching headlines and scandalous stories.
Step-by-step explanation:
The sensationalistic, often exaggerated style of news reporting in the late 1800s and early 1900s is known as yellow journalism. Newspapers, such as Joseph Pulitzer's New York World and William Randolph Hearst's New York Journal, used this style to captivate the public's attention with sensational and scandalous stories. These publishers employed bold headlines and provocative imagery to boost circulation, often prioritizing eye-catching content over factual accuracy.
Yellow journalism was significant in cultivating public opinion on various important events and trends of the time, including influencing perspectives on the naval arms race leading up to World War I and the practice of imperialism. Additionally, stories like the Dreyfus Affair were sensationalized, impacting the political and social climate of the period.
Over time, there was a shift toward more responsible journalism, with papers like The New York Times, under Adolph Ochs, focusing on objective reporting. This change paved the way for muckraking, which involved investigative journalism exposing corruption and leading to reforms. Although sensationalism has not disappeared completely, it has evolved in the ways it influences modern media and journalism.