Great Men of Journalism: William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer
Joseph Pulitzer began his career by purchasing the Evening Dispatch and merging with John Dillon’s Evening Post. Later he purchased Dillon’s portion of the paper. Pulitzer slowly gained readers, and built up his income. He eventually purchased the New York World (Sloan 212). In the 1890’s Pulitzer’s World issued the first newspaper that included colored print in it. The color was part of a popular comic that would become known as “The Yellow Kid.” However, when The World’s color press was installed, Pulitzer was abroad, and his Managing Editor: Arthur Brisbane, and his Business Manager: Don C. Seitz, were the ones who brainstormed the idea of using color (Jones 413). The World was the first newspaper to be referred to as a “Yellow Newspaper.” Pulitzer’s paper was also the only 8-page paper that was being sold for 2 cents (Jones 415).
Pulitzer’s circulation reached 100,000 a little over a year after he bought it, and he received a medal to award the fact that he had achieved “the largest circulation ever attained by any American newspaper” (Jones 417). This was an advancement for journalism as a whole, because other people aspired to be as successful as The World, and to use the techniques that Pulitzer was using. However, Pulitzer did not reach such a high circulation himself. He had many journalists writing for him who should have received that award along with him.
In the year 1885, Pulitzer and The World held a campaign to raise money to build a base for the statue the United States had received from France (The Statue of Liberty). Until this point, the statue had been stored in a warehouse where nobody could enjoy it. Pulitzer raised $300,000 for the base. This was a great accomplishment for Pulitzer, because The Statue of Liberty is now a huge icon of not only New York City, but for the United States. If Pulitzer had never raised the money for this base, the statue may still be sitting in a warehouse to this day. This was a great accomplishment.
Pulitzer eventually was forced to retire when he went blind. Editors of various papers of the time voted in a poll for an issue of The Editor and Publisher. It was concluded by these people that Pulitzer was the greatest editor of all time. They based this on the fact that he believed in his distinct writing style, which he described as writing in a way that is: “Picturesque, striking, arresting your audience’s attention, and stimulating their imagination” (Jones 424). Also, after Pulitzer went blind, he began creating plans for a school of journalism. His plans would come to life, but after his time (Boylan 8).
William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer were rivals. Hearst’s New York Journal hired Richard Outcault (Creator of the “Yellow Kid” character) away from Pulitzer’s paper (Sloan 225). Hearst used a lot of Pulitzer’s techniques from The World while he was working at The San Francisco Examiner (Owned by his Father). Hearst eventually went to New York to see if he could “battle” Pulitzer and do a better job (Sloan 232). Hearst was a very motivated journalist. Not only did Hearst hire Outcault from The World, but he also hired two of The World’s editors: Morrill Goddard and Arthur Brisbane (Jones 431). It seems that Pulitzer took The World very seriously, but Hearst meant business. He was interested in getting the best journalists to work for him, and he made sure they were paid well, and that they were happy. Hearst may have done this to spite Pulitzer, but Hearst’s paper became very successful, as did the journalists who worked for him.
Our text says that of Hearst’s New York Journal: “It is impossible to remain unimpressed by [the paper’s] zest and its enterprise (Sloan 236). Though Hearst imitated a lot of Pulitzer’s techniques, he did do it well. Hearst wasn’t afraid to be controversial or risquÃ?©. Copies of his paper were even banned in Canada and France for a period of time (Jones 443). This shows Hearst wasn’t afraid to communicate with his readers, and say what was on his mind. He didn’t have a problem with exposing the truth.
There is no doubt that Pulitzer had a great influence on the field of journalism. However, it is a fact that Hearst had a much larger circulation. He has had a greater influence on journalists in the past, and is a much better known publisher by people all over the world (Jones 460). He took chances with his journalistic style and his papers. Hearst was criticized by people for his viewpoints and his papers, but so was every other journalist and publisher of the time. Hearst went to NY to compete with Pulitzer, but he went as the underdog. Pulitzer had a very good circulation at that time, and Hearst had to step up and compete for the “spot.” I feel Hearst’s accomplishments outweigh Pulitzer’s, so I believe that Hearst was the greater editor of the two.
