"I thought of it, but I decided against it. Because you can crush a man with journalism, and you can't with motion pictures."
- William Randolph Hearst to Douglas Fairbanks in response to a question about why he didn’t consider going
"I thought of it, but I decided against it. Because you can crush a man with journalism, and you can't with motion pictures."
- William Randolph Hearst to Douglas Fairbanks in response to a question about why he didn’t consider going into Hollywood.
William Randolph Hearst has reached almost folklore status in United States history. Hearst’s first, and most important, accomplishment was his pioneering of “yellow journalism,” an idea that would make him millions and continues to influence journalism today. The most interesting aspect of Hearst, though, was his outlandish, legendary lifestyle. After becoming one of the richest men in America, he set out to create the Hearst Castle on his famous San Simeon ranch, which was half the size of Rhode Island. No man during his reign over the American people held more power than Hearst; he was an eminent influence in publishing, art, politics, and public opinion in addition to practically commanding Hollywood (although he was never directly connected with it).
William was born on April 29, 1863, to George and Phoebe Hearst in San Francisco, California. His father was a self-made millionaire through various mining and ranching businesses, and had also served time as a Senator of California. As the only son of a staggeringly rich couple, Hearst enjoyed opportunities that very few people in the world have ever had. He would travel all throughout Europe at a young age with his mother Phoebe, where they would visit various museums. Young William gathered ideas of grandeur from his appreciation of art, castles, history, and extravagance in general. At the age of ten, he told his mother that he wanted to buy the Louvre. Phoebe only encouraged such ideas.
After returning from his European adventure, Hearst was enrolled in St. Paul’s Preparatory School in Concord, New Hampshire. Although he did not show much interest in math or science, he excelled the literature and history courses. He was soon accepted into Harvard University, where he would first show signs of journalistic brilliance. Shortly after Hearst became part of the group that was publishing the Harvard Lampoon, he took over the managerial position. Hearst soon convinced his father to let him take over the San Francisco Examiner, which George had acquired as payment for a gambling debt, as a pet project.
Building an Empire
Two years after Hearst took the reins in 1887, the Examiner showed a profit. It was here that he would get his first taste of the power of media. By controlling a newspaper, he also controlled the reputations of everyone in the community. Although the newspaper itself made profits, Hearst most likely earned just as much by accepting bribes. In 1895, he would purchase the New York Morning Journal. Hearst shortened the title to simply the Journal. Within a few years of its purchase, the Journal attained an unprecedented circulation, due in large part to its low price of one cent. This success would allow him to acquire almost two dozen different papers within the next decade.
With an almost unlimited budget, Hearst began to build the most impressive writing cast in the world. The list of figures that, at one time or another, worked for Hearst included Stephen Crane, Mark Twain, Julian Hawthorne, Ambrose Bierce, Jack London, and Richard Harding Davis. The tycoon’s papers were also the first to introduce color comics, invented by Richard F. Outcault. At his highest point, over 25% of Americans got their news from one of Hearst’s many papers. These papers were certainly the flashiest in the country; nobody else took better advantage of color magazine sections or outrageous headlines.
Hearst soon replaced Joseph Pulitzer as the number one yellow journalist in the country. When there was no news to be found, Hearst would create the news. When Frederic Remington, a Journal reporter, asked for permission to return from Cuba after a fruitless voyage, Hearst replied with his famous saying, "Please remain. You furnish the pictures and I'll furnish the war." Many people accused him of conjuring the Spanish-American War in order to stimulate newspaper sales. This claim is not as outrageous as it sounds; if anyone had the power 