Final answer:
William Randolph Hearst was likely excited about the war because it presented an opportunity for sensational journalism and increased profits for his newspapers, a practice known as yellow journalism.
Step-by-step explanation:
William Randolph Hearst was excited at the news of war primarily due to the opportunity it presented for sensational journalism, which in turn could increase circulation and profits for his newspaper empire. The period leading up to and during the Spanish-American War saw a rise in yellow journalism, where newspapers would sensationalize and sometimes fabricate stories to attract readers.
Hearst's alleged statement, "You furnish the pictures, and I'll furnish the war," although not proven to be historical, symbolizes the lengths to which he might have been willing to go to use the war as a means to sell newspapers.
Similarly, during World War I and other conflicts, the idea of war as an exhilarating event was propagated, with the media, public figures, and popular culture often presenting war in a glamorous light, rousing the public's patriotic feelings and overshadowing the grim realities of conflict.