Question

why did late - 1890s newspapers publish sensational stories about cuba and the spanish - american war?
newspapers used the stories to sell more papers.
the stories were meant to attract more spanish and cuban readers in the united states.
the stories helped elected us officials learn about what was happening.
newspapers wanted other countries to know that the united states was watching cuba closely.

Explanation:

In the late - 1890s, the concept of yellow journalism was prominent. Newspapers, in an effort to increase their circulation and profits, would publish sensationalized stories. By creating a sense of drama and urgency around events in Cuba (which was a topic of interest as the US was getting involved in the Spanish - American War), they could attract more readers. This was a common business practice in the newspaper industry at that time to boost sales.

• Option B: The main target audience of US newspapers was the American public, not Spanish and Cuban readers in the US.
• Option C: While elected officials might have read newspapers, the primary motivation for publishing sensational stories was not to inform them but to make money.
• Option D: The focus was on domestic readership and sales, not on sending a message to other countries about US surveillance of Cuba.

Answer:

A. Newspapers used the stories to sell more papers.