Introduction

The year is 1898. You are a beat writer for either The World, published by Joseph Pulitzer, or The Journal, published by William Randolph Hearst. The two New York City newspapers are engaged in an intense competition to gain readers. To attract readers (people who will buy their papers), Pulitzer and Hearst are using large dramatic headlines, unscrupulously sensational stories, and comics. They exaggerate news reports to attract readers - a technique called yellow journalism. Your boss (editor), either Pulitzer or Hearst, assigns you one event to cover from the Spanish-American War. Your job is to sensationalize the event so readers will just have to buy a copy of your paper to "read all about it!"

The Task

As the reporter you will choose one event from the Spanish-American War and produce a front-page story that sensationalizes it.

Your front-page story will include:

• An eyecatching headline.
• An image, picture or illustration of the event.
• A one or two paragraph article of the event.

Resources

Textbook American Voices. Chapter Nine, pp.386-394. This brief section will provide some background on the Spanish-American War and yellow journalism as well as give you some ideas for events you may want to cover. Pictures and images from this text may work as the image for the event as well.

Interactive Slide Lecture This slide presentation on the Spanish-American War and the Growth of Imperialism provides both vivid images and background information of events you, as a "yellow" reporter, may want to choose.

Library Sources Both the U.S. History section and the Reference section have some great books, encyclopedias, etc. that can give you all the information a good investigative reporter would need to write up a hot news story on an event from the War. In addition images, pictures and illustrations from these sources could be phtocopied and used for the image of your article.

Internet Resources Here are some sites you might visit to help you piece together your story:

Spanish-American War Site Newly updated, very intensive site on the Spanish American War. Internationally respected site covers battles, such as Manila Bay, Santiago, San Juan Hill, etc

The Spanish-American War in Motion Pictures First Release Motion Picture, Broadcasting, and Recorded Sound Division, Library of Congress Motion pictures of the Spanish-American War and the subsequent Philippine Revolution produced between 1898 and 1901 are featured in this presentation, released to coincide with the centennial of the sinking of the battleship U.S.S. Maine.

Remember the Main! Site Centennial of the Spanish American War Sinking of the Battleship Maine in Havana Harbor, Feb. 15, 1898 War Declared with Spain, April 21, 1898 Battle of Manila Bay, May 1, 1898 Battles of Las Guasimas, San Juan & El Caney.

Spanish-American War Home Page Spanish-American War Historian and Collectors Home Page.

Library of Congress Site on the Spanish American War Resources on the Spanish American War.

Many of these sites spin-off to dozens of others. Take some time to "surf" around and see just how sensational you can make your frontpage article!

The Process

1. 1. Read the excerpt from the textbook. To save time students are asked to read these pages (386-394) ahead of time as homework.
2. 2. Participate and take notes during Interactive Slide Lecture. This activity provides more background knowledge and actually presents an actual headline from the New York Journal as an example of yellow journalism.
3. 3. Investigate further with resources such as the library and the internet. Identify an event of the Spanish-American War. Locate information, pictures, illustrations and firsthand accounts of the event you have chosen to provide material to help write your article and choose an image.
4. 4. Synthesize what you have collected into a front-page sensational account of the event. Try using exaggeration to emphasize the shocking aspects of the event you chose. Descriptive adjectives will help color your article "yellow."
5. 5. Once you feel you have a great eyecatching headline, an image or picture, and a sensational article, you are ready to put it all to print!
6. 6. Take a piece of butcher provided and arrange it all in the form of the front page of either The World or The Journal.

Evaluation

Each and every reporter from class is responsible for submitting a front-page project for publication. They will be judged on several factors:

• Is the title of the paper at the top? Is there an appropriate date for the event?
• Does the event have an exciting, eyecatching headline to "hook" the reader?
• Is there an image, picture or illustration of the event located on the front page?
• Is there an article of at least one or two paragraphs describing the event?
• About the article: Is it exaggerated? Is it sensational? How convincing is it?
• Finally, how well-written is the article? Spelling errors, grammar, etc.?
• Overall "look" and presentation of the front-page project will figure in to the final score of the project.

Conclusion

Congratulations! If you have completed each step detailed above then you are finished. Your newspaper headline story is the talk of the town! It was submitted for publication, printed up and now the American public can read about the sensational event occuring during the Spanish-American War.