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Welcome to the VOA Special Englishprogram PEOPLE IN AMERICA. Today, Steve Ember and Rich Kleinfeldttell about American publisher William Randolph Hearst. Mister Hearstcreated what was once the nation’s largest newspaper organization.He bought newspapers in many areas of the United States. He spentmillions of dollars to gain readers in sometimes shocking ways. Heforever changed the American newspaper business.
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VOICE ONE:
William Randolph Hearst was born in San Francisco inEighteen-Sixty-Three. He was the only child of George Hearst andPhoebe Apperson Hearst. His father became rich by developing mines.His mother was a philanthropist who gave her time and money to helpothers.
William Randolph Hearst had everything he wanted as a child. But,he was a rebel. In Eighteen-Eighty-Five, he was expelled fromHarvard, one of the best universities in America, for playing a jokeon a professor.
George Hearst wanted his son to take control of developing themines or the land he owned. But, William had other desires. Hebecame interested in newspapers while at Harvard. He started workingas a reporter for the New York World newspaper owned by JosephPulitzer.
VOICE TWO:
George Hearst owned the San Francisco Examiner newspaper. But hewas more interested in politics than in newspaper publishing. InEighteen-Eighty-Seven, George Hearst became a United States Senator.He gave control of the newspaper to his son William who wastwenty-three.
William Randolph Hearst wanted to create a newspaper that peoplewould talk about. He worked long hours and put high energy into hisnewspaper. He employed some of the best reporters and writers hecould find. And, he paid them the highest wages. Mister Hearstimproved the appearance of his newspaper and bought modernequipment. He also improved relations with advertisers. Advertiserspay to have their products shown in newspapers to increase sales.Newspapers profit from the money paid by advertisers.
News stories in the San Francisco Examiner were written withforce, energy and excitement. Some stories were written to shockreaders and affect them emotionally. However, the stories weresimple and easy to read.
Mister Hearst believed in doing whatever it took to get readers.His newspaper policy was: make the news complete…print all thenews…shorten it if necessary…but get it in. That became thepolicy in newsrooms across America.
VOICE ONE:
By Eighteen-Ninety-One, the SanFrancisco Examiner had three times more readers and advertisers thanwhen Mister Hearst took control of the newspaper. In less than fiveyears, William Randolph Hearst made the new San Francisco Examiner ahuge success.
Mister Hearst repeated his success in New York City. He borrowedfive-million dollars from his mother to purchase a second newspaper,the New York Journal. In his first two months, he increased thenumber of copies sold from thirty-thousand to one-hundred-thousand.
Joseph Pulitzer was a very successful publisher in New York.Mister Hearst shared Mister Pulitzer’s excitement and energy aboutthe newspaper business.
During the Eighteen-Nineties, Mister Hearst and Mister Pulitzerbegan a fierce newspaper war. Mister Hearst hired many reportersfrom Mister Pulitzer’s New York World newspaper. He paid them morethan two times as much as they had been earning. He also reduced theprice of his newspaper below Mister Pulitzer’s.
VOICE TWO:
Mister Hearst won readers by making the news more exciting andentertaining. He created a kind of newspaper reporting known todayas “yellow journalism.” News events were made to seem greater thanthey really were. His methods went beyond what would be acceptedtoday in major newspapers. Critics said his newspapers were only forentertainment. Yet many other newspapers tried to copy his methods.
Mister Hearst attacked big businesses and dishonest politiciansin his newspapers. There were also reports about sex, murder andother crimes. His newspapers became a voice for working people andthe poor. His influence grew across the nation through hisnewspapers and the magazines he bought or began.
VOICE ONE:
Many experts say Mister Hearst’s reporting methods and his battlewith Mister Pulitzer for readers led to the Spanish-American War. InEighteen-Ninety-Eight, United States fought Spain to help the peopleof Cuba gain independence from Spain.
Mister Hearst’s newspapers had accused Spain of sinking theAmerican battleship “Maine” and killing two-hundred-fifty sailors.This increased public support for the war. However, it still is notknown how the ship sank.
The war greatly increased readers for the Hearst publications.Mister Hearst’s battle with competitors widened after the war. Somenewspapers blamed him when President William McKinley was murderedin Nineteen-Oh-One. The assassination happened after one of theHearst newspapers seemed to suggest killing Mister McKinley.
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VOICE TWO:
In the early Nineteen-Hundreds, William Randolph Hearst becamedeeply involved in politics. He represented New York in the UnitedStates House of Representatives from Nineteen-Oh-Three toNineteen-Oh-Seven. In Nineteen-Oh-Four, he unsuccessfully sought theDemocratic nomination for president. He also failed in his campaignsto become governor of New York or mayor of New York City.
Mister Hearst had hoped to change the way things were being donein New York City. He hoped to defeat dishonest New York Citypoliticians who controlled the city at the time.
Mister Hearst also campaigned against big business. He supportedlabor unions and government ownership of public utilities,railroads, and other big companies. And, he sought political reformand the return of economic competition in the country.
VOICE ONE:
Mister Hearst’s opponents accused him of being disloyal to hiscountry because of his support for Germany during the first years ofWorld War One. He was opposed to American involvement in the war.
Mister Hearst was sharplycriticized for his political ideas. Many people refused to deal withhim. Some hated him. His newspapers were banned in many communities.
Mister Hearst strongly supported of Democrat Franklin Rooseveltfor president in Nineteen-Thirty-Two. Then he became increasinglyconservative and turned against President Roosevelt. He opposedAmerican involvement in World War Two. He also led a fierce campaignagainst communism during the Nineteen-Thirties.
Through the years, Mister Hearst continued to buy newspapers andmagazines across the country and around the world. He alsocontrolled a number of radio and television stations and a moviecompany.
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VOICE TWO:
William Randolph Hearst and his wife Millicent were married inNineteen-Oh-Three. They had five sons. She remained married to himuntil her death. However, Mister Hearst spent almost thirty-years ofhis life with Hollywood actress Marion Davies in San Simeon,California. They met in Nineteen-Seventeen and later lived togetherat San Simeon. He started a movie company to produce movies for her.Their relationship shocked the nation.
Mister Hearst spent thirty-years and thirty-million dollars tobuild a huge home at San Simeon. It has one-hundred-sixty-fiverooms. Mister Hearst and Marion Davies entertained many famouspeople there. He continually bought costly art objects to fill it.
By Nineteen-Thirty-Seven, Mister Hearst’s heavy spendingthreatened to ruin his publishing organization. He was forced tosell much of his property and many art objects. The economicrecovery after World War Two saved what was left of his mediaorganization.
VOICE ONE:
When William Randolph Hearst died in Nineteen-Fifty-One, he stillowned what was then the largest newspaper company in America. Today,the Hearst Corporation includes almost one-hundred separatebusinesses. They include newspapers, magazines, radio and televisionstations and business media companies. The communications businessWilliam Randolph Hearst began continues to influence and informpeople around the world.
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ANNCR:
This Special English program was written by Cynthia Kirk. It wasproduced by Paul Thompson. Your narrators were Steve Ember and RichKleinfeldt. I’m Faith Lapidus. Listen again next week for anotherPEOPLE IN AMERICA program on the Voice of America.
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