Randolph Hearst influence on newspapers

William Randolph Hearst was a newspaper publisher in his life span from 1863-1951. He studied journalism at Harvard University. He worked under Joseph Pulitzer writing for the school paper. After a few years, he took over the San Francisco Examiner newspaper with the help of his wealthy father in 1887. It became a popularized with increased profits from remodeling using what he learned from his previous employer and used “Pulitzer-style sensationalism” and reformation.

The next major successful step for Randolph Hearst was buying The New York Morning Journal in 1895. He published a lot about the Cuban Revolution. It became very successful and started the war between himself and Joseph Pulitzer who wrote for the New York World at the time. The competitors brought great work to readers across the nation. Hearst made a decision to hire a few of Pulitzer’s workers. One specifically who drew the Yellow Kid which was a hit cartoon in 1895 Pulitzer paper.

Yellow Journalism became coined through Pulitzer and Hearst’s actions when writing about the American war against Spain. Both did things like personally changing the stories, stretching and distorting news, spinning the reports, and elaborating rancid details about the war. Hearst’s publications were biased against Cuba. Both publishers gave readers excitement and thrill through articles and brought in an increased number of sales with their scandalous acts.

Hearst eventually grew to own over 200 United States newspapers. As well as magazines, books, and films, he had a castle built in California in the 1920’s.

Randolph Hearst has had a great influence on newspapers and the industry it is today. His unique style of bold headlines, layouts and large illustrations still play a huge role in newspapers today. The role of Yellow Journalism in the late 1800’s leaves our newspaper industry today with guidelines that both negatively and positively affect the business today. Things like fabrication make it possible for publishers to only state facts and give audience the truth. But like Hearst, publishers also use biased opinions to help increase sales rates.

Overall Randolph Hearst has made a tremendous contribution to newspapers today because of his establishments of major papers like The New York Morning Journal and even Yellow Journalism. Major magazines including Hearst Magazines, films production, and books were also assets and achievements in his lifetime. 

http://www.nytimes.com/1991/09/14/opinion/l-hearst-intended-to-furnish-spanish-war-441791.html?ref=williamrandolphhearst
http://www.nytimes.com/1998/02/15/weekinreview/the-world-remember-yellow-journalism.html?ref=williamrandolphhearst