Question

name:
date:
per:
mr. gorman/mr. melito
social studies 8
objective: construct a newspaper article using yellow journalism to support a war with spain.
directions: analyze the document below and follow the project directions.
yellow journalism assignment
historical context:
in the late 1800s, two newspapers, the morning journal, published by william randolph hearst, and the world, owned by joseph pulitzer specialized in printing exaggerated and untrue headlines, articles, and cartoons that supported an american war with spain. both publishers knew that a war with spain would be big news resulting in big sales and profits. by 1898, many americans demanded that the united states help free the cubans from spain.
assignment: you are a reporter for a yellow journalism newspaper in the late 1800s. you must write an article convincing the american public to support a war with spain. you will use your notes to:

steps	what you need to include

| #1 | create an original name for your newspaper. be creative!
ex) paca periodicals; real news network; honest hourly press |
| #2 | write a sensational headline.
ex) \spain sinks the maine! americans call for war!\ |
| #3 | write an article using yellow journalism:

• use the facts in your notes
• exaggerate the story to make it exciting
• must convince americans to support a war with spain |

| #4 | include two pictures to support your article to convince americans to support a war with spain.
ex) two images here |

#5	add color to your pictures.

Explanation:

Created a yellow journalism-style newspaper article following the assignment requirements: an original newspaper name, sensational headline, exaggerated persuasive text, and descriptions of supporting colored images to rally Americans to support war with Spain.

Answer:

1. Newspaper Name: The Atlantic Firebrand
2. Headline: "SPAIN’S BRUTAL TYRANNY UNLEASHED: CUBANS BUTCHERED, U.S. HONOR AT STAKE—DEMAND WAR NOW!"
3. Article:

HAVANA, CUBA—The streets run red with the blood of innocent Cuban men, women, and children, all at the hands of Spain’s ruthless, unhinged military occupiers. For months, these savage oppressors have starved entire villages, burned homes to the ground, and shot unarmed civilians for daring to whisper of freedom.

Last night, a witness told The Atlantic Firebrand of a Spanish firing squad executing 20 Cuban farmers who refused to hand over their meager crop to greedy Spanish generals. "They laughed as they pulled the triggers," the sobbing witness recounted. "They don’t care about human life—they only care about stealing our land and our dignity."

And now, Spain has set its sights on the United States! Sources confirm Spanish warships are lurking off the coast of Florida, plotting to strike our ports, kill our citizens, and destroy our way of life. We cannot sit idly by while a cruel foreign power slaughters our neighbors and threatens our homeland.

Every true American must demand Congress declare war on Spain today. We must send our brave soldiers to free Cuba from this hellish tyranny and defend the honor of the United States. To do anything less is to let evil triumph!

1. Picture Descriptions (for coloring):

• Image 1: A dramatic, fiery scene of a Spanish soldier setting fire to a small Cuban village, with terrified families fleeing. Color the flames bright orange and red, the soldier's uniform dark gray, and the villagers' clothes ragged, muted blues and browns to highlight their desperation.
• Image 2: A close-up of a young Cuban child crying beside the body of their parent, with a Spanish rifle lying discarded nearby. Color the child's tear-streaked face pale pink, the parent's shirt dull red to suggest blood, and the rifle a cold black to emphasize violence.

1. Coloring: Applied bold, emotional colors to the two images as described to amplify the sensational, persuasive tone of the yellow journalism piece.