Jacob Riis’s “How the Other Half Lives” shocked the American public with its use of:

The correct answer is D. powerful photographs depicting conditions in city slums.

Jacob Riis’s “How the Other Half Lives” was groundbreaking because it combined both text and powerful photographs to expose the harsh realities of life in urban slums. The images served to shock the public into recognizing the dire circumstances faced by the poor, emphasizing the need for reform and social change. This work was influential in raising awareness about poverty and the living conditions of immigrants in late 19th-century America.