William Randolph Hearst, a powerful newspaper magnate in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, was known for his sensationalist journalism, often referred to as "yellow journalism." His newspapers were notorious for publishing exaggerated and sometimes fabricated stories to sell more papers and sway public opinion.

One particularly harmful and racially charged narrative that Hearst's tabloids propagated was the so-called "Yellow Peril," a xenophobic fear of East Asian people, especially Chinese immigrants, who were often portrayed as a threat to Western society. Hearst's newspapers played a significant role in stoking this fear, especially during the late 1800s and early 1900s, when anti-Chinese sentiment was already high in the United States.

Hearst's publications often featured sensationalized stories about white women being seduced by Chinese men, who were depicted as using opium to lure and corrupt them. These stories were part of a broader effort to demonize Chinese immigrants, framing them as morally degenerate and dangerous to the social fabric of the country. The narrative served as a disguised "anti-drug" campaign, but its real purpose was to incite fear and racial prejudice among the American public, reinforcing stereotypes and justifying discriminatory laws and practices against Chinese people.

This type of journalism had a long-lasting impact, contributing to the perpetuation of racial stereotypes and influencing public policy, such as the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, which severely restricted Chinese immigration to the United States.