This term emerged in the late 19th century, referring to the sensationalist, often lurid, and often fabricated news stories that were published in newspapers, particularly in New York City.
The term "yellow journalism" originated from the "Yellow Kid," a popular comic strip character that was printed in both the New York World and the New York Journal. Both newspapers used sensationalism and exaggeration to attract readers, and the use of the Yellow Kid in both publications led to the term "yellow journalism" being used to describe this type of reporting.