Norman Hapgood Declares that Yellow
Journals Have Shaken the Newspapers
Out of Their Old Rut.
"Yellowness," in the newspaper sense, means sensationalism; sensationalism
means exaggeration; exaggeration means wrong proportion and the distortion
of truth. On the other hand, it is pointed out that yellowness means
interest; interest means closer attention from a larger audience; the
larger audience means wider editorial influence.
Aside from the main arguments for and against yellowness, there are
noticeable effects which the new journalism has had indirectly upon the
old. Speaking recently before the League for Political Education, in New
York City, Norman Hapgood, the editor of _Collier's Weekly_, attributed
the increased boldness and popular tone of the conservative newspapers to
the influence of yellow journalism:
Yellow journalism has its faults, but it was the first to
shake the newspapers out of the old rut and give them new
vigor. Before the advent of this class of journals there was
no organ among the conservative press to speak down to the
people. It was the consequence of a growing democracy and
had for its purpose the establishment of a press wherein the
laboring classes would have expression.