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Yellow Journalism
By Hannah Cha, VI Form
Editor’s note: Hannah Cha is the recipient of the Shen Prize of 2024. The Shen Prize is awarded to the winner of a public speaking contest among Advanced United States History students on the topic of democracy.
A renowned author Oscar Wilde once said, “In America, the president reigns for four years, but journalism governs forever and ever.” Journalism is often referred to as the fourth estate, possessing both the explicit capacity of advocacy and the implicit ability to frame political issues. While serving as a primary disseminator of raw information, opinionated journalism has also served as a source of falsehood and bias—also famously called, yellow journalism.
Yellow journalism is a style of sensationalist reporting, often containing a degree of exaggeration and lurid details to attract readers. The term originated from the fierce rivalry between the two newspaper publishers Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst. Their overheated competition eventually led to an indistinguishable amount of misleading and exaggerated news, hindering the primary definition of democracy in the country. Historians note that unbiased political discourse, free from external influences, fosters public opinions crucial for achieving true democracy in America. Unfortunately, mass media in the late 19th century did not support this primary right.
During the height of their rivalry, Pulitzer and Hearst transformed journalism into their battleground where sensationalism reigned supreme. Not even two days after the explosion of the USS Maine in Havana Harbor, newspapers were dominated with headlines such as “Maine Explosion Caused by Bomb or Torpedo?” or “Spain Guilty!,” directly accusing Spain of the phenomenon. This inflammatory rhetoric not only fueled war sentiments but also exerted pressure on the political leaders to take decisive action against Spain, contributing to the Spanish-American War. In their pursuit of profit and influence, Pulitzer and Hearst blurred the lines of journalism and propaganda, leaving a lasting legacy of yellow journalism in the history of American media.
Regardless of the questions arising from the credibility of the newspapers, it was evident that these journals served as a huge media platform. A photo of the New York Journal Office proudly displays the newspaper’s circulation of over 1.3 million copies in a day. Beyond the initial roles of conveying information, newspapers in the era were powerful agents of societal impact, shaping the collective consciousness of a society.
The era of yellow journalism was characterized by sensationalism, moral degradation, and a disregard for factual accuracy. Drawing parallels to modern times, where media platforms are indispensable as sources of information, the relevance of combating misinformation is more critical than ever. Looking into the history of yellow journalism and its impact on the public serves as a reminder for both journalists and citizens to uphold ethical standards and prioritize integrity over the allure of sensationalism.
The Shen Prize: The Enduring Constitutional Shield of the Warren Court
By Katelyn Yang, VI Form
The Shen Speech Prize: The Enduring Constitutional Shield of the Warren Court
Editor’s Note: The Shen Prize is awarded to the winner of a public speaking contest among Advanced Placement United States History students on the topic of democracy. The prize is given by Y.L. Shen in honor of his daughters, Ing-ie (Ava) Shen of the Class of 1988 and Ing-Chuan (Judy) Shen of the Class of 1989.
Inscribed on the headstone of former Chief Justice Earl Warren are some of these words that bear a powerful message even today: “Where there is injustice, we should correct it; Where there is neglect, we should provide care; And wherever corrections are achieved, we should add them permanently to our storehouse of treasures.”
We enjoy many rights and freedoms from the Warren Court’s ‘storehouse of treasures.’ This U.S. Supreme Court served from 1953 to 1969 and arguably did more to advance individual rights and liberties than any court before or after. Such rights and liberties are vital to a functioning democracy as they allow citizens to participate fully and effectively. However, they were not always respected by governing majorities.
The Warren Court sought to create a ‘constitutional shield’ against the tyranny of the majority. By striking down discriminatory laws, the Court expanded democracy by extending the Bill of Rights protections to more Americans. By recognizing privacy and voting rights, the Court broadened individual liberties. Moreover, the Court’s accomplishments remind us that when American institutions act with empathy and courage, they can bring the nation closer to a true democracy.
(more…)The Ely Speech Prize for The Global Seminar: From Green, White, and Red to Red, White, and Blue; An Immigration Story
By Ellie Tesoro, IV Form
From Green, White, and Red to Red, White, and Blue; An Immigrant Story
Editor’s Note: Ellie Tesoro is the recipient of the 2023 Ely Prize in Public Speaking. Originally given by a member of the Class of 1892 in memory of his mother, the Ely Prize is presented to the student who gave the best speech in the Global Seminar Public Speaking Competition.
Student-Submitted Note: This is a speech written about my grandfather who immigrated from Italy during World War II and some of the challenges he overcame. The Global Seminar has a yearly speech competition which all students compete in, with 8 finalists reading their piece before the grade and one winner is picked. The 2023 ELY Speech prompt was “How was your view as a global citizen changed this year at St Mark’s and in The Global Seminar.”
Imagine having to wake up every day for the first four years of your life not knowing who your father was or if he was alive. My grandfather, Tony Tesoro, carried that burden for 1461 days. Today I am going to be telling his story and the lasting impact it has had on me and my family. The purpose of this speech isn’t to bore you with the details of how my family survived in a country completely foreign to them. It is rather on the patriotism and resilience that has been engraved into my family since my great-grandfather, Giovanni Tesoro, was first captured by the United States military 80 years ago.
For this to make better sense I am going to start from the beginning. My grandfather Antonio (Tony) Tesoro was born on April 11, 1941, in rural Italy by the countryside. He had a mother, a sister, and a father. His father, Giovanni, was drafted into World War II in 1941 a few months before Tony was born. Giovanni was captured by the British Army and then handed over to the United States military. He served as a cook, gaining alliances as well as true friendships with both POW and American soldiers. Giovanni spoke highly about the treatment he received from his captors and always said that he was lucky. Things could’ve been much worse than they were if it weren’t for the generosity of the US.
(more…)The Ely Speech Prize for The Global Seminar: Signature
By Divi Bhaireddy, III Form
The Ely Speech Prize for The Global Seminar: Signature
The Ely Prize in Public Speaking, originally given by a member of the Class of 1892 in memory of his mother, is presented to the student who gave the best speech in the Global Seminar Public Speaking Competition.
Someday in the future, I will be someone’s ancestor. People will tell stories about me; what I did with my life, what family I made, and the impact I left behind. Those people in the future won’t know how I laughed or how I smiled, my quirks or my chatter, but instead, they’ll know all that I did with my life. My name will be passed down, and how I decide the way my name is remembered, is all in my hands.
In the beginning of this school year, one of the first assignments we had in The Global Seminar was titled, “2.1 Our Names & Our Places in the World”. It was all about what our names meant and how it reflected our stories. And although we hadn’t chosen that name, it was still ours.
Our names were given to us by other people. Whether it be your mother or your father who gave it to you, your grandmother or your religion, it isn’t your choice. My name is Divi. My full name: Divija. It means born in heaven. And since I was a child, my name has been mispronounced when people first meet me because it isn’t one that they have encountered before. But, this year in TGS, we learned about Hinduism. How rich my culture is and how sacred our beliefs are. We learned about Samsara, which is a cycle of life ultimately to reach a state of Moksha; enlightenment. It helped me gain a deep appreciation for my name and all its uniqueness. And once I came to terms with my love for my name, it was time for the hard part: how I wanted that name to represent me.
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Ely Prize for Public Speaking
By Sydni Williams, IV Form
Ely Prize for Public Speaking
Editor’s Note: Sydni Williams is the recipient of the 2019 Ely Prize in Public Speaking. Originally given by a member of the Class of 1982 in honor of his mother, the Ely Prize is presented each year to the student who gives the best speech in the Global Seminar Public Speaking Competition.
In 1995, Hillary Clinton said: “Human rights are women’s rights–and women’s rights are human rights.” Two months ago, I had never heard this statement. However, as I did my research paper on violence against women, my viewpoints changed greatly. Now, I appreciate safety and opportunities, and I don’t take the minuscule, yet beautiful, parts of my life for granted.
As I started my research, the horrific and deadly crimes perpetrated against females struck me. I constantly found myself completely shocked and horrified by the information that seemed too terrible to be reality. For example, one in three women across the world is a victim of intimate partner violence. Meaning, ⅓, or 33.33%, of women in the world are assaulted by their partners. Brides in India and China may be killed by their husbands if the dowry their families are forced to pay isn’t valuable enough. All over the world, females are killed or driven to suicide for various acts that are considered shameful. More than 500,000 girls in Latin America are kidnapped, transported, and exploited through sex trafficking. Young girls are killed before they are five years old because they are deemed less valuable than baby boys. These are all facts that I didn’t know before I started doing research.
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A Brand New Self Through Debate
By Carl Guo, III Form
A Brand New Self Through Debate
“I think I should give some thank-yous. First, I’d like to thank this kid, Rajesh, who gave me one hundred dollars to be in the thank-you speech…” This is how the champion of the US National Speech & Debate Association (NSDA) Nationals began his thank-you speech. I was there, watching the finals, imagining that one day, I could stand there on the stage and give a speech like that in the finals. This dream came
true quickly after two months. I won the championship of the Chinese debate nationals last summer. It felt amazing and unbelievable, and in retrospect, my debate journey is a miracle that truly shaped the person I am now.
It was coincident that I found out about debate three years ago when I accidentally saw a poster in front of my extracurricular classroom. I thought it might be an excellent opportunity to practice English since I was not a native speaker, so I signed up for it. This turned out to be the most important decision I have ever made in my life. (more…)
Working Together to Launch the Model UN Club
By Isabelle Kim, Jovin Ho, & Rachel Wang, IV Form and Matt Walsh, Stephanie Moon, & Alan Gao, III Form
Working Together to Launch the Model UN Club
To understand what the “Model United Nations Club” is, it is essential to know the concept of the “Model United Nations” or “MUN”. Model United Nations acts as a simulation of United Nations conferences, in which participants act as delegates. Delegates represent various countries and their ideals, and engage in formal debates over global issues as well as international affairs, through which a resolution is achieved that is, ideally, satisfactory for all parties involved. A couple of weeks prior to the conference, the delegates are assigned respective countries, councils, and issues that will be debated upon, thus allowing delegates ample time to research the topic at hand and formulate their arguments. A big part of MUN is the delegates recognizing that they are not representing themselves, but are a part of a larger picture, having to uphold their country’s beliefs. (more…)
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