<P> The term was coined in the mid-1890s to characterize the sensational journalism that used some yellow ink in the circulation war between Joseph Pulitzer's New York World and William Randolph Hearst's New York Journal . The battle peaked from 1895 to about 1898, and historical usage often refers specifically to this period . Both papers were accused by critics of sensationalizing the news in order to drive up circulation, although the newspapers did serious reporting as well . An English magazine in 1898 noted, "All American journalism is not' yellow', though all strictly' up - to - date' yellow journalism is American!" </P> <P> The term was coined by Erwin Wardman, the editor of the New York Press . Wardman was the first to publish the term but there is evidence that expressions such as "yellow journalism" and "school of yellow kid journalism" were already used by newsmen of that time . Wardman never defined the term exactly . Possibly it was a mutation from earlier slander where Wardman twisted "new journalism" into "nude journalism". Wardman had also used the expression "yellow kid journalism" referring to the then - popular comic strip which was published by both Pulitzer and Hearst during a circulation war . In 1898 the paper simply elaborated: "We called them Yellow because they are Yellow ." </P> <P> Joseph Pulitzer purchased the New York World in 1883 after making the St. Louis Post-Dispatch the dominant daily in that city . Pulitzer strove to make the New York World an entertaining read, and filled his paper with pictures, games and contests that drew in new readers . Crime stories filled many of the pages, with headlines like "Was He a Suicide?" and "Screaming for Mercy ." In addition, Pulitzer only charged readers two cents per issue but gave readers eight and sometimes 12 pages of information (the only other two cent paper in the city never exceeded four pages). </P> <P> While there were many sensational stories in the New York World, they were by no means the only pieces, or even the dominant ones . Pulitzer believed that newspapers were public institutions with a duty to improve society, and he put the World in the service of social reform . </P>

During the age of imperialism the american press engaged in yellow journalism