Final answer:
Yellow journalism is a sensationalist style of reporting that prioritizes eye-catching headlines over factual accuracy, often used to stir public emotion and sell newspapers.
Step-by-step explanation:
Yellow journalism is characterized by a sensational style of reporting, which emphasizes eye-catching and inflammatory headlines often at the expense of factual accuracy. This type of journalism reached its peak during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with media moguls such as William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer leading the charge. Sensationalist reporting on Spain's crimes in Cuba was used to agitate for war and sell more newspapers, often using bold headlines and little factual evidence to stir public emotion.
The qualities that constitute yellow journalism include sensationalist headlines, exaggerated stories, lack of objectivity, and scandal-mongering. This approach to news reporting played on the emotions of the public and sought to entertain and capture attention rather than inform with accuracy. The practice has since given way to more objective forms of journalism, yet the legacy of yellow journalism is still evident in some modern media practices.