Josef pulitzer biography

As owner of a successful and leading newspaper in the city, Pulitzer and his wife were almost members of the city's high society. Some people in the city never let Pulitzer forget that his father had been Jewish he had been called "Joey the Jew" when he first arrived. There was something about this upstart immigrant from Hungary that did not quite fit with the fancy clothes and top hats that gentlemen in St.

Louis wore in the s and s. The couple eventually had seven children, but by most accounts theirs was not a happy marriage. Within a decade, Pulitzer's health began to fail and he began suffering a series of emotional problems that made him difficult to live with as a husband or as a father. Ina shooting involving his editor Joseph Cockerill see box added to other strains on Pulitzer's health.

The publisher's doctor advised him to take a long, restful vacation in Europe. Although he had made a success of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, owning a newspaper in the nation's biggest city and cultural capital was in a different league altogether. The World was failing and its owner, businessman Jay Gould —wanted to sell. Pulitzer could not resist the challenge.

Editing a newspaper in the nineteenth century was not always a calm job. On October 13,an attorney, Civil War veteran, and former candidate for U. Congress named Alonzo W. Slayback — burst into the editorial offices of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and confronted editor John Cockerill — His friends claimed that Slayback, accompanied by another attorney, planned to demand an apology for a story in the paper, and perhaps to slap the editor in the face for good measure.

Cockerill, who had a running feud with Slayback, became alarmed and picked up a revolver from his desk. He shot Slayback once, in the heart, killing him. Cockerill insisted he had acted in self-defense and was never charged with murder. Pulitzer immediately threw himself into improving the fortunes of his new newspaper, which had a circulation of about fifteen thousand copies a day.

In an effort to compete with the crowded field of daily newspapers in New York, in the era before radio or television, Pulitzer introduced innovations, or new ideas, that would change the face of the entire newspaper industry. In addition to the usual mixture of politics and scandal, Pulitzer added stories about sports to appeal to people interested in that topic.

The World also helped draw its readers into the world of crime by printing diagrams of crime scenes and publishing details of murder. He even sought to interest young children with the introduction of color cartoons. Pulitzer experimented with the appearance of his paper. Previously, newspapers looked like a solid mass of gray type.

His coverage of crime stories later came to be called sensationalism: Screaming headlines about crimes that may have been routine in New York, but which Pulitzer's headlines made seem dramatic and sensational—meant to arouse the senses. As publisher of the World, Pulitzer was in direct competition for readers with another publisher who had started in the West, William Randolph Hearst — of San Franciscowho bought the New York Morning Journal in and launched an evening edition of the paper the following year.

Hearst imitated many of Pulitzer's innovations, and the two were fierce competitors, each straining to outdo the other in presenting sensational stories and giant headlines designed to make readers pick one paper over the other on newsstands on the way home from work in the evening. The s were an era when most newspapers were bought from newsstands, rather than being delivered to the home, and when reading the paper was the evening's entertainment.

At the same time, Pulitzer did not lose sight of his earlier focus on government reform. He continued his earlier community crusading with stories about municipal corruption and the need for political reform. The competition between Pulitzer and Hearst reached its peak in February when a mysterious explosion rocked the U. Navy battleship U.

Maine, anchored in the harbor of Havana, Cuba. The ship sank, killing sailors. At the time, Cuba was a possession of Spain, which was putting down a revolt. Pulitzer and Hearst had already been competing to report alleged atrocities, or claims of acts of violence, by the Spanish against the Cuban rebels. The sinking of the Maine provided an even better headline, and in their eagerness to build circulation, Pulitzer's New York World and Hearst's New York Journal generated an enormous war cry.

Blaming Spain for the explosion the source of which has never been made clearPulitzer and Hearst demanded that the United States strike back. On April 19,Congress recognized Cuba's independence, which amounted to a declaration of war against Spain. A short conflict, lasting less than six months, resulted in victory for the United States, giving them control over the Philippines also a Spanish possession and Puerto Ricoas well as granting Cuban independence.

In the s, Pulitzer's eyesight, never strong, began to fail, and by the s he was virtually blind. Making matters worse, Pulitzer suffered from a battery of illnesses: asthma, a lung disease that makes it difficult to breathe; diabetes, a disorder affecting the body's ability to absorb sugar that can lead to many complications, such as blindness, unless treated; insomnia, an inability to fall asleep; and a mental condition called manic depression, which results in wide and sudden mood swings.

Pulitzer became very sensitive to noise and felt compelled to live in soundproof rooms he built in his mansions in Bar Harbor, Maine, and New York City and aboard his yacht. AfterPulitzer did not set foot in the newsroom of the New York World, communicating instead through secretaries and using a secret code to ensure his messages were not intercepted.

Pulitzer also insisted that money be set aside to award journalists for outstanding work—the Pulitzer Prizes that are so eagerly sought by journalists and are regarded as the profession's top award a century after Pulitzer's death. There is little doubt that Pulitzer was one of the most influential men in America's newspaper industry. The ideas he pioneered in newspapers are still present in the twenty-first century and are often reflected in television shows specializing in crime or "reality.

Douglas, George H. The Golden Age of the Newspaper. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, Juergens, George. Joseph Pulitzer and the New York World. Davidson, David. Neuharth, Allen H. Topping, Seymour. Cite this article Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. Immigration and Migration Reference Library. January 8, Retrieved January 08, from Encyclopedia.

Then, copy and paste the text into your bibliography or works cited list. Because each style has its own formatting nuances that evolve over time and not all information is available for every reference entry or article, Encyclopedia. The modern newspaper was virtually created by Joseph Pulitzer — during the latter half of the nineteenth century.

It was a newspaper that seemed to meet the needs of the modern industrial world. Boasting headlines, sensationalism with social conscience, a sports page, a business page, and the comic strips, it was a paper the average person could use to learn about the world and be entertained. This was largely the social invention of Joseph Pulitzer.

Politzer was the Hungarian spelling of their last name. As a young child, Pulitzer was considered sickly. He was very thin, his lungs were weak, and his vision was poor. His father was a wealthy grain dealer, wealthy enough to retire early and be with his family. When Joseph Pulitzer was six years old, the family moved to a quiet estate in BudapestHungary, where the boy was educated by private tutors, along with his brother and sister.

Pulitzer was raised fluent speaking Hungarian, German, and French. The young Joseph Pulitzer was perhaps overly energetic, and was wild about seeking fame. He was brilliant, very independent, and intensely ambitious. There were early signs, extremes in his behavior as a young man, of the emotional problems that would later hurt him as a grown man.

At the age of 17 he left home and sought to join the Austrian Army, the British armed forces, and the French Foreign Legion. He was rejected from each army because of his poor eyesight. At one point during the American Civil War —a recruiter of the Union army approached Pulitzer. In Boston, Massachusetts, Pulitzer jumped ship. He then went to New York where he enlisted on his own behalf, thereby collecting his own enlistment bounty.

On September 30,Pulitzer joined a cavalry regiment organized by Carl Schurzwith whom Pulitzer would work after the war. Pulitzer was discharged from the Union Army in July He had little money and no prospects for work. He settled in St. Louis, Missouriwhere there was a large German community. Louis Pulitzer found familiar customs that reminded him of his European origins.

He worked a variety of jobs including a mule tender, waiter, and hack driver. He also worked for several lawyers and, while doing so, studied law josef pulitzer biographies and was admitted to the bar. In Pulitzer became a U. Carl Schurzwhom Pulitzer met during his military service, hired Pulitzer as a reporter for the Westliche Postan influential German-language newspaper in St.

The paper specialized in political articles and was very much committed to social reform in a young United Stateswhich at the time appeared rife with corruption. Pulitzer became very interested in local politics and public affairs, and was an exceptional reporter in these areas. As a result he was nominated for the state legislature by the Republicans in ; he won the election.

While serving his term as a representative, Pulitzer also worked as a correspondent for the Westliche Post. In he became very involved in the Liberal Republican movement, which had nominated Horace Greely for president. After the defeat of Greely, Pulitzer became a Democrat. In Joseph Pulitzer bought his first newspaper, the St.

He also bought a German newspaper that had an Associated Press membership, which he quickly sold for a profit. In Pulitzer purchased the St. Louis Dispatchwhich he combined with the St. Louis Post ; the newspaper then became the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. As publisher and editor of his newspaper, Pulitzer declared immediately that it would be devoted to issues of social reform.

He vowed to his readers that the paper would be independent of political influence, and would instead be "the organ of truth," as he put it in an early editorial. Along with his editor-in-chief, John A. Cockerill, Pulitzer printed verbal crusades against wealthy tax dodgers and corrupt gambling practices. For example, the newspaper published the tax returns of local citizens, wealthy and poor, in parallel columns.

Pulitzer and Cockerill editorialized in favor of the building and maintaining of streets and other public structures and were instrumental in starting a city park system. They made the St. Louis Post-Dispatch a very successful civic minded newspaper. Pulitzer edited the Post-Dispatch from to From the josef pulitzer biography he was involved in all aspects of the publication.

By the newspaper had achieved high profits, gained josef pulitzer biography readership, and moved to a new building where two Hoe presses were installed. When Pulitzer's health weakened, however, he gave more responsibility to Cockerill. In Cockerill shot and killed Alonzo W. Slayback, a local lawyer running for Congress. Slayback, whom Cockerill openly opposed and insulted, had confronted Cockerill and was murdered.

Afterward Pulitzer asked John A. Dillon, founder of the Postto take over the management of the paper. During the aftermath of the scandal, Pulitzer's health deteriorated further and he was advised by his physician to take a long rest. Inwhen he was 36 years old, Pulitzer bought the failing New York World newspaper, and he applied the same principles that led to success with his St.

Louis paper. In the paper sold 15, copies daily. With Pulitzer's genius for sensing what the public wanted, he built a newspaper which, bywas selling 15 million copies a day. He emigrated to the United States in and settled in St. He worked as a mule tender, waiter and hack driver before studying English at the Mercantile Library. Grant, the official Republican candidate.

Despite the efforts of Pulitzer and Carl Schurz in Missouri, Grant won the presidential election by electoral votes to In Pulitzer was able to purchase the St. This venture was a success and six years later was able to buy the St. He combined the two newspapers and launched crusades against government corruption, lotteries, gambling, and tax fraud.

Pulitzer also promised to use the paper to "expose all fraud and sham, fight all public evils and abuses, and to battle for the people with earnest sincerity". Pulitzer also used the New York World to advocate a ten-point program of reform: tax luxuries, tax inheritances; tax large incomes; tax monopolies; tax the privileged corporations; institute a tariff for revenue; reform the civil service; punish corrupt office holders; punish vote buying; punish employers who coerce their employees in elections.

Outcault as one of his artists. They helped him secure a job with the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad. Pulitzer displayed a flair for reporting. He would work 16 hours a day — from 10 am to 2 am. He was nicknamed "Joey the German" or "Joey the Jew". He joined the Philosophical Society and frequented a German bookstore where many intellectuals hung out.

Among his new group of friends were Joseph Keppler and Thomas Davidson. Pulitzer joined Schurz's Republican Party. On December 14,Pulitzer attended the Republican meeting at the St. Louis Turnhalle on Tenth Street, where party leaders needed a candidate to fill a vacancy in the state legislature. After their first choice refused, they settled on Pulitzer, nominating him unanimously, forgetting he was only 22, three years under the required age.

However, his chief Democratic opponent was possibly ineligible because he had served in the Confederate army. Pulitzer had energy. He organized street meetings, called personally on the voters, and exhibited such sincerity along with his oddities that he had pumped a half-amused excitement into a campaign that was normally lethargic. He won — His age was not made an issue and he was seated as a state representative in Jefferson City at the session beginning January 5, During his time in Jefferson City, Pulitzer voted in favor of the adoption of the Fifteenth Amendment and led a crusade to reform the corrupt St.

Louis County Court. Louis County. Their rivalry became so heated that on the night of January 27, Augustine confronted Pulitzer at Schmidt's Hotel and called him a "damned liar. He returned to the parlor and approached Augustine, renewing the argument. When Augustine advanced on Pulitzer, the young Representative aimed his pistol at the Captain's midriff.

Josef pulitzer biography: Joseph Pulitzer was a Hungarian-American politician

Augustine tackled Pulitzer, and the gun fired two shots, tearing through Augustine's knee and the hotel floor. Pulitzer suffered a head wound. Contemporary accounts conflict on whether Augustine was also armed. While in Jefferson City, Pulitzer also moved up one notch in the administration at the Westliche Post.

Josef pulitzer biography: Joseph Pulitzer was a Hungarian-American

He eventually became its managing editor, and obtained a proprietary interest. On August 31,Schurz now a U. SenatorPulitzer, and other reformist anti-Grant Republicans bolted from the state convention at the Capitol and nominated a competing Liberal Republican ticket for Missouri, led by the former Senator Benjamin Gratz Brown. Brown was successful in the November election over the mainline Republican ticket, presenting a serious threat to President Grant's re-election chances.

Louis Board of Police Commissioners. Pulitzer and Schurz were expected to boost Governor Brown for the presidential nomination, but Schurz preferred the more idealistic Charles Francis Adams Sr. A loyal Brown man alerted the Governor of this betrayal, and Governor Brown and his cousin Francis Preston Blair sped to Cincinnati to rally their supporters to Greeley.

He also met Greeley's assistant and campaign manager Whitelaw Reidwho would become Pulitzer's journalistic adversary. However, Greeley's campaign was ultimately a disaster, and the new party collapsed, leaving Schurz and Pulitzer politically homeless. InPulitzer promoted a reform movement christened the People's Party, which united the Grange with dissident Republicans.

However, Pulitzer was disappointed with the party's tepid stances on the issues and mediocre ticket, led by josef pulitzer biography farmer William Gentry. He returned to St. Louis and endorsed the Democratic ticket. Pulitzer's own views were in line with Democratic orthodoxy on low tariffs, and limited federal powers; his prior opposition to the Democrats was out of disgust for slavery and the Confederate rebellion.

Pulitzer campaigned for the Democratic ticket throughout the state and published a damaging rumor leaked by josef pulitzer biography Senator George Vest that Gentry had sold a slave. He also served as a delegate to the Missouri Constitutional Convention representing St. Louis, arguing successfully for true home rule for the city. InPulitzer, by now completely disillusioned with the corruption of the Republicans and their nomination of Rutherford B.

Hayesgave nearly 70 speeches in favor of Democratic candidate Samuel J. Tilden throughout the country; Schurz, who saw Hayes as a reformer with integrity, returned to the Republican fold. In his speeches, Pulitzer denounced Schurz and urged reconciliation between North and South. While on his speaking tour, Pulitzer also wrote dispatches to the New York Sun on behalf of the Samuel Tilden presidential campaign.

After Tilden's narrow defeat under dubious circumstancesPulitzer became disillusioned with his candidate's indecision and timid response; he would oppose Tilden's run for the Democratic nomination. Pulitzer returned to St. Louis to practice law and search for future opportunities in news. On his thirtieth birthday, Pulitzer's home at the old Southern Hotel burned to the ground, likely destroying most of his personal belongings and papers.

On December 9,Pulitzer bought the moribund St. Louis Dispatch and merged it with John Dillon's St. Louis Postforming the St. The paper was considered a leader in the field of sensational journalism. The circulation of the Post-Dispatch steadily rose during Pulitzer's early tenure aided by the collapse of the city's other daily English-language paper, the Star.

At the time of merger, the Post and Dispatch had a combined circulation of under 4, By the end ofcirculation was up to 8, Pulitzer bought two new presses and increased staff pay to the highest in the city, though he also crushed an attempt to unionize. Pulitzer's primary political rival at this time was Bourbon Democrat William Hydepublisher of the misleadingly named Missouri Republican.

Pulitzer's much smaller paper won a series of early political skirmishes over Hyde. Though Pulitzer could not convince Horatio Seymourhis preferred candidate, to run, the Democrats did not renominate Tilden. InPulitzer made a second run for public office, this time for United States Representative from Missouri's second district. However, he was resoundingly defeated for the Democratic nomination tantamount to victory in heavily Democratic St.

Louis by Bourbon Thomas Allen4, to When Thomas Allen died during his first term, Pulitzer's Post-Dispatch strongly opposed the Republican 's endorsed candidate, James Broadheadan attorney working for the railroad magnate Jay Gould. The story became a national sensation and turned many conservative Democrats vehemently against Pulitzer and the Post-Dispatch.

In Aprilthe Pulitzer family traveled to New York, ostensibly to start a European vacation, but actually so that Joseph could make an offer to Jay Gould for ownership of the morning New York World. In return for the paper, Gould asked Pulitzer for a sum well over a half-million dollars, as well as the retention of the World's staff and building.

At the urging of his wife Kate, however, he returned to negotiations with Gould.

Josef pulitzer biography: Joseph Pulitzer was born to

The World immediately gained 6, readers in its first two weeks under Pulitzer and had more than doubled its circulation to 39, within three months. As he had in St. Pulitzer passed away on October 29,in Charleston, South Carolina. Joseph Pulitzer American journalist Date of Birth: Contact About Privacy. Marina Levinson. Joseph Pulitzer. Nataliya Zabuzova.

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