In
1883 Joseph Pulitzer purchased New
York World for $346,000. The newspaper was turned into a journal
that concentrated on human-interest stories, scandal and sensational
material. Pulitzer also promised to use the paper to "expose
all fraud and sham, fight all public evils and abuses, and to battle
for the people with earnest sincerity". The newspaper was extremely
popular, especially the cartoons of its main artist, Richard
F. Outcault.
In 1895 William Randolph Hearst purchased
the the New York Journal, and
using the similar approach adopted by Joseph
Pulitzer, began to compete with the New
York World. Pulitzer responded by producing a colour supplement.
This included the Yellow Kid, a new cartoon character drawn by Richard
F. Outcault. This cartoon became so popular that William
Randolph Hearst, owner of the New
York Journal, offered him a considerable amount of money
to join his newspaper. Joseph Pulitzer
now employed George Luks to produce the
Yellow Kid.
Hearst also reduced the price of the New
York World to one cent and including colour magazine sections.
As a result of the importance of Outcault's Yellow Kid character in
these events, this circulation war between the two newspapers became
known as yellow journalism.
The tactics used by the New York World
and New York Journal increased
circulation and influenced the content and style of newspapers in
most of the USA's major cities. Many aspects of yellow journalism,
such as banner headlines, sensational stories, an emphasis on illustrations,
and coloured supplements, became a permanent feature of popular newspapers
in the United States and Europe during the 20th century.
Leon Barritt, Drawing of Joseph Pulitzer
and William
Randolph Hearst,
Vim Magazine (29th June, 1898)
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