William Randolph Hearst

The Gold Rush of the 1840s and 50s transformed 19th Century America. Hundreds of thousands travelled West, and in 1850, 55,000 people went to the Californian gold field.

This was a time of mass immigration. After the Irish famine of the 1840s, and the failed revolutions of 1847 and 1848, millions fled to Europe. 1 in 10 died in the journey across the continent.

The American frontier thesis claimed that America has the right to expand their land, and tried to wipe out tribes and push Indians off their land. This led to the Indian Wars.

Hearst's father, George Hearst, was one of the tens of thousands lured to California by the promise of gold. He travelled 1,000 miles in 1850 to California-the more West you went, the more "American" you became, hence California was the heart of the Gold Rush. Hearst was able to dominate the new land on sheer force and bloody mindedness, rather than money and heritage.

George Hearst's hard work won him success in the mines, but he was more interested in a political career. He bought the San Francisco Examiner, rumoured that he won it in a poker game.

The early American papers, known as penny papers, were of 2 type: Political and Commercial. Political papers were used as propaganda, and commercial papers printed ship reports etc, they did not report on news.

In 1846, the New York newspapers organised the Associated Press-it needed to be objective because it supplied content for a variety of papers with widely different political alliance.

William Hearst took over the Examiner in 1887, and transformed it. The old Examiner had a front page filled with dozens of stories-a wall of text. Hearst reduces the stories, eliminated the adverts and doubled the size of the headlines. Above the masthead, he put endorsements and circulation figures. He also included illustrations: "they attract the eye and stimulate the imagination of the lower classes and materally aid compensation" meaning even people couldn't read could understand it. He also improved the writing, making it more focused and urgent.

The Examiner was pro-labour (Democrats), anti-capital, and anti-railroad. It supported the unions, but was occasionally guilty of virulent racism.

New Yorks growth was fuelled by:

• Cheap Labour: People had moved from extreme poverty and would work for anything.
• Urban concentration and new technology.
• Very low commodity prices-especially food.

Hearst went to New York, and acquired the New York Journal. At this time, Pulitzer was known as a newspaper genius, and had created a cartoon called the Yellow Kid. Hearst poached this idea in 1896, as there were no copyright laws. In response to this, Pulitzer had it copied by a different cartoonist, and so there were 2 papers, with 2 yellow kids. These were later known as the Yellow Papers, and started Yellow Journalism.

The Yellow Kid and his friends were clearly immigrants, but appealed to the working class (C2DEs).

The Journal and the World (Pulitzers' paper) even battled to solve crime. A body washed ashore in New Yorks' East River, and the Journal offered $1000 for clues of the mans identity or cause of death. Weeks later an arrest was made, and the Journal headline read: "Murder Mystery Solved By The Journal"

Investigative journalism was known as muckraking during this period, and was started by Nellie Bly, who pretended to be insane to uncover how patients were treated in the madhouse.

The Spanish War

In 1897, as the insurrection continued to build in Cuba, Hearst sent one of his best reporters there. The reported complained in a letter to Hearst that he had "not heard a single shot fired or seen an insurgent". The illustrator was also bored and wanted to go home, sending a telegram to Hearst stating: "Everything is quiet here. There is no trouble, there will be no war." Hearst replied: "You create the pictures, I'll create the war". However, this is highly disputed, as Hearst later denied it.

One of Hearst's major achievements was the rescue of Evangelina Cisneros, the daughter of a rebel leader who was imprisoned for refusing to sleep with a Spanish captain. The rebels were fighting against the Spaniards, who were sending people to concentration camps. Hearst petitioned to free her, but failed, so sent a reported to bribe the Spanish guards and free her. He brought her back to America and Hearst had her photographed with the President.

The war Hearst promised was caused after the USS Maine mysteriously exploded in Havana Harbour, killing 260 crew. Hearst believed the Spanish attacked the ship, which caused the war.

The day after the Maine sunk, the Journal broke the million circulation mark with the headline "A splendid little war". Hearst released rockets from the roof to celebrate the declaration of war, and offered $1000 for the best war strategy. The Spanish War was a huge success for the Yellows.

The events that led to the declaration of war against Spain in 1898 provide a revealing view of the forces shaping foreign policy as the nation entered the 20th century. America's long tradition of isolationism gave way to a seemingly irresistible impulse. Hearst creates the models for modern tabloid journalism later copied in the UK by the Mail, the Mirror and the Sun.

Sources:

HCJ Lecture Notes

www.google.com

www.wikipedia

www.kidport.com/reflib/.../calgoldrush.htm

The Real Pink Panther

The RSPCA have rescued a cat dumped in a back garden-that has been dyed pink. It is believed the pet is the victim of a sick prank, after it was thrown over a garden fence in Swindon, Wiltshire.

The cat, nicknamed "Pink" is in good health, although the dye will not wash out. Animal experts are concerned that further washing will traumatize and stress the cat out, and so are waiting for the colour to grow out naturally.

Pink was seen being thrown over a garden fence at 10.30pm on Saturday, but it is not known who the person responsible is.

Animal welfare officer Carl Hone, who is investigating for the charity, said: "When I got the call I thought perhaps it would be a cat with something natural on their coat or which had rubbed against wet paint but this poor creature has been dyed completely pink, except around her eyes and nose, so she looks like she has a white mask on.

"We are very keen to trace the person responsible for doing this to the cat and I would urge anyone with information, or who knows who she belongs to, to please call the RSPCA."

Year 2 Journalism!

After a very long break from blogging over the summer, its that time of the year to get back to work!
This year is centered around WINOL-Winchester News Online, and my contribution to this for the first semester is sports reporting, starting tonight with Winchester FC vs Moneyfields FC.

William Randolph Hearst

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

Local Government Assignment

Local elections are a time of hurried canvassing, leaflet distribution and tense debates, with each party highlighting their policies in a desperate attempt to secure the public’s votes. But just how much do the candidates have to do in order to secure a place in Parliament? I followed Weston-super-Mare’s liberal democrat candidate: Mike Bell, to experience a day in the life of a politician.
Mike was born in Weston-super-Mare in 1973, and attended local schools, before setting up home in the town centre with his family. His interest in politics developed when he became a member of the Young Liberal Democrats, and pursued to become political leader of the town council in 2003. Since then, he has also been elected as the youngest councillor to North Somerset Council and was selected to represent Weston-super-Mare as the Parliamentary candidate in 2006.
Mike invited me to shadow him for a day during the busy campaigning period in preparation for the upcoming election. The current liberal democrat offices are located in a converted shop in Mead Vale, Weston. Upon arrival, I was greeted by several volunteers, who were preparing leaflets and forms for those who have applied for a postal vote. The group was made up of members of Mike’s family, as well as some local residents, many of whom were retired.
Mike arrived in a traditional suit and tie, with a yellow “Liberal Democrat” rosette. He explained that this was so that whilst canvassing, people would not confuse him for a door-to-door salesman, and therefore were more likely to answer the door.
Once we had left the office, Mike and another of the volunteers used the electoral roll to locate the addresses of people eligible to vote. Unfortunately, a Thursday morning is not the perfect time to be canvassing, as many people are at work, however, the people that were home were greeted by Mike, by him introducing himself, and explaining that he is the local Liberal Democrat candidate, and the Conservatives are only leading by a small percentage in this constituency. Some of the people we met had already decided who they were voting for, whereas others voiced their concerns, and asked questions about the Liberal Democrat policy etc.
After each visit, a note would be made on who each person were voting for, or if they were undecided. This was so that they could pinpoint which people may need some extra persuading to vote for the Liberal Democrats, and so Mike can see the range of supporters there are for each party in the area.
We returned to the office for a light lunch with the other volunteers. It was a very friendly, relaxed atmosphere, and I was made to feel very welcome, being asked about University and this assignment.
After lunch we resumed canvassing in the area until 3pm, when Mike was to appear in a hustings at Fussels Court, an apartment complex for the over 60s. This was a very exciting affair, as the 3 candidates for Weston-super-Mare were all participating in a Question and Answer session from the residents and guests.
The room was set up with a panels desk at the front, covered in a green cloth. The current MP for Weston (Conservative John Penrose) was seated in the middle, with Mike to his left, and Labour candidate David Bradley to his right. The moderator also had a green clothed table positioned further into the left corner of the room.
The questions asked were split into sections: Economy and Pensions, Housing, National Debt, Unemployment etc. Each candidate was given the opportunity to answer and explain how their policies would tackle the issues raised. I felt that both Liberal Democrats and Conservative were very strong on the matters raised, whereas Labour seemed to flail slightly. This may be because Labour is not very popular in the constituency, and have never won in Weston-super-Mare.
Mike came across as confident and passionate, with lots of common sense, and well-researched information. For example, one resident asked “Why should I trust any MP from any party after breaking the law and getting away with it” (referring to the expenses scandal). Mike responded to this by saying that no MP should be trusted, as trust is something which needs to be earned, which the current Parliament have not done. Also, when asked what the most important thing to change is, both locally and nationally, Mike replied with the Council, and the Government, highlighting that a new start is what the area needs, after previous mistakes and decisions have proven detrimental to both Weston-super-Mare, and the country.
The hustings ended around 4pm, followed by tea and biscuits with the guests, residents and other organisers of the event. This gave people a chance to meet the candidates personally, and ask any further questions. Once the guests had left, Mike and I were treated to a tour of the apartment complex, followed by a walk back to the headquarters to lock up the office.
Overall, I had an enjoyable day working with Mike Bell and the other Liberal Democrat supporters. I found them all very friendly, and Mike was very easy to get along with, taking an interest in my thoughts and opinions regarding the election and the local area.
My expectations of the day were definitely exceeded, as previously I have never been very interested in politics. Spending a day with a politician helps put information learnt in lectures into practise, and helps you to understand the other side of the election. It was very good to see Mike out on the streets canvassing, and talking to the public, instead of sending supporters to do it for him. I think it sends out a very good impression, as it shows people that the candidates are willing to make the effort to talk to them personally. Overall, I feel enlightened by this experience, as it has made me a lot more interested in the upcoming election, and the government in general.

WINOL Live all night election coverage!

The journalism students at Winchester University are broadcasting a live feed of the election tonight from 10pm-6pm. Students of all years have joined in to help out with the all-night coverage, from production work, to outside broadcasts.

I, amongst some of my other fellow first years, are filming a behind-the-scenes documentary on the event, featuring the different job roles that people are fulfilling during the evening.

These roles range from directing, sound engineers, production workers, and runners. Some students are also broadcasting live from other constituency's such as Eastleigh, and New Forest, giving live updates on the count, and finally ending with the overall result.

The atmosphere is a mixture of tension and excitement, as we near the beginning of the live feed. The aim is to be the first to broadcast the final results, hopefully before the BBC, as this will be a massive achievement for the university and all the people involved.

HCJ-Karl Marx

Karl Marx (1818-1883) was a revolutionary German economist, and philosopher, and the founder of the communist movement. H made economics central to the understanding of human life and the motive power of history. For Aristotle man is the rational animal, for plato the political animal, for Kant the moral animal, for Hegel the historic animal. For Marx man is the productive animal.

Marx saw history as the story of class struggles, in which the oppressed fight against their oppressors. According to Marx, as history unfolded, the victory of one class would pave the way for the future freedom of the rest of society. "The history of all hitherto existing societies is the history of class struggle"

Marx viewed the unfolding process of history as follows:
First in ancient and mediaeval society the landed and wealthy had oppressed the slaves and the poorest plebeians and labourers.
Then, as new technologies were invented and market forces grew stronger, everything changed. The middle classes - gaining wealth and power from trade and manufacture - challenged the power and authority of the old rulers.
But at this stage a new struggle was formed between the bourgeoisie (the property owning class) and the proletariat (the industrial working class).

The story between classes is always similar, two classes will be locked in a life and death struggle and the state will be there EITHER as the actual means that one class dominates another or as a broker between two classes neither of which is on its own strong enough to gain full control of the state.

Marx argued that the capitalist bourgeoisie exploited the proletariat as the products created in the factory (the material outcome of the workers' labour) were sold for more than the value of the labour itself. Therefore, the work carried out by the proletariat created great wealth for the capitalist.

The wealth of the bourgeoisie depended on the work of the proletariat, which shows that capitalism requires an underclass. Marx believed that the continued exploitation of the underclass would create great resentment and eventually the proletariat would lead a revolution against the bourgeoisie. The final struggle would lead to the overthrow of capitalism and its supporters.

Following the defeat of capitalism, a new classless society would emerge based on the idea: 'from each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs'. In such a society, land, industry, labour and wealth would be shared between all people. All people would have the right to an education, and class structures would disappear.