William Randolph Hearst was born in 1863, and became proprietor of the San Francisco Examiner at the age of23. He was greatly inspired by Joseph Pulitzer, whom the Pulitzer prize is named after. Hearst once owned 28 newspapers, and 18 magazines, as well as radio stations and movie companies. The Great Depression financially ruined William Hearst, and by 1940 he had lost all personal control of his empire.
It is rumoured that he initiated the Spanish-American War in 1898 to encourage sales of his newspaper. He also made a fortune selling shovel and adverts for shovels during the Gold Rush.
The 1850s saw the railway boom, which boosted the newspaper industry, as there was a greater audience to reach in new communities.
Hearst creates the model for modern, popular tabloid journalism. This was copied in the UK by Northcliffe, and is still seen today through the likes of Rupert Murdoch etc.
This is the basis of his model:
1) Visually led
2) Photojournalism
3) Massive multi-deck headlines
4) WRH Method (1) think of story (2) stand it up
5) ‘Headline driven’ - vital importance of headline
6) Low literary language
7) Comic strips
8) News Agenda of crime and get rich quick (playing on greed and fear)
He adopted a rash and gaudy approach to news, which boosted the circulation of the newspapers considerably.
Hearst’s’ life inspired the film “Citizen Kane” (Orson Wells, an American drama.
Rather than ruin the film for other who may wish to watch it, the plot summary can be found here: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0033467/synopsis
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