William Randolph Hearst

           William Randolph Hearst was born in San Francisco, California in 1863. Hearst was born into extreme wealth thanks to his father’s investment in successful silver mines. While at Harvard University Hearst was the business manager of humor magazine the Harvard Lampoon.

            In1887 Hearst’s father handed him the reins to the San Francisco Examiner. At just 23 years old Hearst devoted time and money to rebuilding the Examiner by expanding the paper and hiring staff that were passionate about journalism. His paper often hypocritically attacked the wealthy and supported labor unions.

            In 1895 Hearst purchased a failing New York newspaper called the Journal. He was intent on surpassing his competition, especially Joseph Pulitzer’s New York World, and he dropped the price of his paper to one penny, which increased his circulation within a year. He hired a cartoonist, R. F. Outcalt to draw the first newspaper comic entitled “The Yellow Kid.” When the World saw this cartoon they soon copied the idea and helped create the term “yellow journalism.”

            Hearst continued with his sensationalist writing style and even manipulated the news to provoke the U.S. to go to war with Spain when he falsely reported that the reason for the U.S. battleship the Maine sinking was the fault of the Spanish.

            Hearst then set his sights on public office, winning a seat as a Democratic Representative in 1902 and 1904 then failing to be elected as Democratic Presidential candidate, mayor of New York, and governor of New York in following years. After his stint in politics Hearst returned to publishing, expanding his empire to include ownership of 37 newspapers and 7 magazines.

            After the Great Depression Hearst was near bankruptcy but survived because of a circulation and advertising increase caused by World War II. Hearst died in 1951 at the age of 88 but is remembered through his company and as the inspiration for a biographical movie titled Citizen Kane.