During the Spanish-American War, the media took on a significant role in swaying public opinion. “Yellow journalism,” or sensationalist journalism, focused on exaggerations and manipulations of events in order to shock readers. Have you ever seen examples of sensationalist journalism in the newspapers or news programs that you watch? Many media experts have commented that the news has been blended with entertainment in recent years. Should the news be entertaining or merely informative? Do you think journalists should attempt to influence readers in order to affect political decisions?

Question