Spanish American War & Propaganda
by: Steffany Long
William Randolph Hearst Richard Harding Davis
Yellow journalism in the Spanish American War emerged as a new form of propaganda that played a critical role in the development of U.S. public opinion about the war. By the late nineteenth century, “the country had about 14,000 weeklies and 1,900 dailies. It has been estimated that twenty-five per cent of Americans over the age of 10 read at least one paper per week.”1 However, journalists began realizing that reader interest in newspapers was declining. Newspaper executives associated the decline in interest with the type of simple informative writing journalists were using. In order to increase sales and profit, they needed to spice up their stories and their manner of writing to attract readers. Journalists invented a new form of writing, later coined yellow journalism, which emphasized overstated emotions, romantic attachments and exaggerated speech. One of the first international stories associated with the emergence of yellow journalism was the Cuban struggle for independence from Spain beginning in 1896. Correspondents of newspaper empires began publishing exaggerated stories covering the events in Cuba, and their publications began selling at a rapid pace. Readers quickly began to feel emotionally invested in the Cuban situation. Yellow journalism was used prior to and during the war to help attract readers; however, what journalists did not foresee was the impact their writing would have on the outcome of the war.
The stories journalists were publishing were generally fictitious and false; but they changed public opinion. Because journalists focused on the issues in Cuba, readers became more involved and concerned about the issue. The public began actively trying to change the situation in Cuba by pushing for American involvement. The press promoted this agenda by transforming Spanish imperialist power into a symbol of hatred. As Bonnie Goldenberg point out, “these propaganda campaigns used bold generalizations, stereotyping, ethnocentrism and racism . . . to simulate support for war."2 Journalists continued to feed public opinion by claiming that it was America’s responsibility to organize and dominate the power and control over Cuba and that it was necessary in order to free Cuban citizens from oppression. In addition, the press portrayed the Spanish as culturally backward. By depicting Spanish culture as backward and medieval, the American press reinforced cultural nationalism by demonstrating that America was lively, young and progressive.3
The constant negative portrayal of the Spanish and the emotionally exaggerated stories of the press not only influenced public opinion but also persuaded the businessmen of America. Businessmen across the Eastern United States spoke in favor of American intervention because it would increase production and assist the U.S. economy. If the United States invaded Cuba then her military would need adequate supplies, which would increase U.S. production. In addition, Cuba would need to be restored; therefore, supplies would be coming from the United States and that was appealing to businessmen. However, farmers were not in favor of the war because it was possible that production of agricultural goods could move to Cuba. If this occurred then a majority of farmers throughout the nation suffer. Although farmers tried to speak out against Cuban intervention, the press silenced their voices. Instead, the press continued to publish reports supporting U.S. intervention.
In 1898, when the USS Maine mysteriously exploded in Havana’s harbor, journalists had the story they needed inflame public support for U.S. military intervention. Headlines detailed the explosion and sinking of the Maine. In addition, journalists immediately looked for a scapegoat to blame for the explosion and they began printing stories accusing the Spanish of the destruction of the battleship. The ideas of emotional attachment, exaggerated language and romantic ideas that fueled yellow journalism blossomed after the sinking of the Maine and continued until the end of the war.
After the sinking of the Maine, yellow journalists’ coverage of events exploded into a frenzy of exaggerated language, misinformation, etc. Events in Cuba fueled this hysteria in part, but the battle between two publishing empires played a significant role as well. Two primary publishers of yellow journalism were William Randolph Hearst and Richard Harding Davis. At one point in the war, Hearst communicated with his illustrator Frederick Remington, “You furnish the pictures, I’ll furnish the war.”4 This attitude is what drove correspondents to continue publishing to keep readers interested and profits high. Hearst’s rival was Richard Harding Davis. Although Davis took a more hands on approach to publishing, he still used yellow journalism to sell his newspapers. Davis acted as a correspondent for most of the war, reporting from the U.S. Navy flagship New York, at the Tampa Bay Hotel and in Cuba. Davis would always wear a correspondent’s uniform and sometimes he would be mistaken for a military commander. He did this because he wanted to get close to the action and be on hand for any surrender.5 Davis took a hands on approach to his stories by being involved in the war and publishing truthful accounts of battle and surrender. However, he used what he saw to also exaggerate stories to keep his newspaper popular and to keep readers interested.
Reader’s predominately supported the war based on their knowledge gained from the exaggerated stories published in the press. In general, the American public supported a U.S. intervention into Cuba; however, there was an anti-war movement growing among the population. Although journalists noticed the anti-war movement, they suppressed it by continuing to fuel public opinion toward a U.S. intervention. The People was a newspaper printed by socialists that outlined anti-war progress. They claimed that the government was using the war to distract everyone from the real fundamental problems on American soil. Howard Zinn points out, “on May Day 1898, the Socialist Labor party organized an antiwar parade in New York City, but authorities would not let them proceed; however, a May Day parade called by the Jewish Daily Forward urging Jewish workers to support the war was allowed to proceed.”6 Yellow journalism successfully molded public opinion, which increased their profits; but it also effectively suppressed the anti-war movement.
Yellow journalism emerged in the Spanish American war as a new form of propaganda. It played a critical role in the development of U.S. public opinion about the war. In the beginning, journalists published fictitious stories and reports to increase profits. Overtime journalists realized they were influencing public opinion and in 1898, when the USS Maine mysteriously exploded in Havana’s harbor, journalists used the mysterious explosion to arouse public opinion in support of U.S. intervention. William Randolph Hearst and Richard Harding Davis spearheaded the yellow journalistic movement that changed the ideas of propaganda. Although predominate newspaper empires dominated public opinion, anti-war sentiments continued to be printed by smaller publishers. Propaganda would soon hit the American press again in a new form and style. However, the domination that the press and yellow journalism had on public opinion in the Spanish American war yet to be repeated.
Giessel, Jess. “The Spanish American War Centennial Website” 2005 <http://www.spanamwar.com/press.htm>.
Goldenberg, Bonnie. “Imperial Culture and National Conscience: The Role of the Press in the United States and
Spain during the Crisis of 1898.” Bulletin of Hispanic Studies 77.3 (2000) p169-191.
Brown, Charles H. The Correspondents’ War. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 414-415.
Zinn, Howard. A People’s History of the United States 1492-Present. New York: HarperPerennial 1995.
Political Cartoons of the Spanish American War
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