William Randolph Hearst

Lore & Background

He later acquired the New York Journal and fought a bitter circulation war with Joseph Pulitzer's New York World, using giant headlines and lurid stories of crime, corruption, sex, and innuendos. He built a chain of nearly 30 newspapers and later expanded into magazines, creating the largest newspaper and magazine business in the world. He controlled editorial positions and political coverage in all his publications, often publishing his personal views. Hearst was twice elected as a Democrat to the U.S. House of Representatives. He espoused left-wing Progressive views, claiming to speak for the working class. After World War I, he adopted more conservative, isolationist views, becoming a militant nationalist, staunch anti-communist, and deeply suspicious of the League of Nations and foreign powers. Following Hitler's rise, he supported the Nazi Party, ordering favorable coverage and allowing Nazis to publish in his papers.

Reader's Guide

William Randolph Hearst's significance lies in his transformation of American journalism through yellow journalism, which prioritized sensationalism and human-interest stories to drive circulation. His methods influenced the popular media nationwide, though critics attribute his success to cheap sensationalism. His political career, though unsuccessful in higher offices, reflected the Progressive Movement's left wing before shifting to conservative isolationism. His support for Nazi Germany and later denunciation of Hitler's treatment of Jews illustrate his complex and controversial legacy. Financially, he mismanaged his empire and was deeply in debt during the Great Depression, forcing liquidation of most assets, though he kept his newspapers and magazines. His life story inspired Charles Foster Kane in Orson Welles' film Citizen Kane, and his estate, Hearst Castle, is preserved as a State Historical Monument and National Historic Landmark. His career exemplifies the power and perils of media consolidation and the influence of a single publisher on public opinion and policy.

Did You Know?

• Hearst was expelled from Harvard College after antics including sending pudding pots used as chamber pots to professors.
• He hired away Joseph Pulitzer's top editors not for higher pay but because they were tired of Pulitzer's office environment.
• His peak circulation reached 20 million readers a day in the mid-1930s.