The Westliche Post
Ideals are like the stars: we never reach them, but like the mariners of the sea, we chart our course by them.
~ Carl Schurz
In response to Schurz's question of why Pulitzer was rude towards editors yet generous to the writers, he stated“I suppose it is because every reporter is a hope, and every editor is a disappointment.” This statement began a life-long controversy surrounding Pulitzer. |
Pulitzer's first job in journalism was offered by Carl Schurz, co-owner of Westliche Post. While working for them, Pulitzer wrote scandalous articles in politics and the government. He mainly back-stabbed Republicans and fully supported the use of income tax. His words were extremely influential and simultaneously detrimental because he almost completely hindered the election of Republicans. During this job, he started to develop his own beliefs and opinions on the world. He also campaigned across Missouri to give speeches on which candidate people should vote. Eventually, Joseph Pulitzer became very powerful in his words, and, out of fear of becoming bought, Schurz offered him 30 thousand dollars to leave the paper.
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St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Joseph Pulitzer bought and combined the St. Louis Dispatch and St. Louis Post to create the St. Louis Post-Dispatch in 1877. Here, he supported the working class and opposed the wealthy. One of the most memorable articles written by Pulitzer was a list of all the wealthy families who had not paid their taxes. Thousands of people suddenly followed Pulitzer in his march to change journalism. However, after having his own scandal that involved the death of a politician, Pulitzer's reputation was tarnished.
"I would rather have one article a day of this sort; and these ten or twenty lines might readily represent a whole day's hard work in the way of concentrated, intense thinking and revision, polish of style, weighing of words."
~ Joseph Pulitzer
New York World
Pulitzer left St. Louis and traveled to New York City in 1883 to buy another newspaper. He hoped he would be able to show his opinions to millions of people. Pulitzer bought the New York World and used the same techniques as before. He became popular again with his development of sensationalism in New York City. Joseph Pulitzer continued to support income taxes and higher taxes on the wealthy. He also created undercover reporting and government infiltration. The New York World, under Pulitzer, became the world's largest newspaper. He sold 100,000 papers every day. Other media followed Pulitzer in his techniques, but none could reach his popularity and power. However, afterwards, William Hearst founded his own paper and started one of the largest wars in journalism.
"An able, disinterested, public-spirited press, with trained intelligence to know the right and courage to do it, can preserve that public virtue without which popular government is a sham and a mockery."
~ Joseph Pulitzer
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