Journalism based on sensationalism and crude exaggeration in order to sell more papers

• A. Investigative Journalism
• B. Photojournalism
• C. Civic Journalism
• D. Yellow Journalism

Answer: (D)

When journalism relies on sensational headlines and exaggerated details to boost sales, it’s describing yellow journalism. This approach took hold in the late 19th century in American newspapers, where publishers like Hearst and Pulitzer competed to outdo each other with dramatic stories about crime, scandal, and international events, often prioritizing impact over strict accuracy. The goal is to grab readers’ attention and boost circulation, even if it means stretching the truth. Other types focus on different aims: investigative journalism seeks in-depth truth-telling about power and corruption, photojournalism uses images to convey news, and civic journalism aims to engage the public in community issues. So the term that best captures sensationalism used to sell papers is yellow journalism.