EOTO 1 Presentations What I learned

 The two presentations that left the largest impression on me were the presentation on William Randolf's Heart and the Presentation about Winifred Sweet Black. I enjoyed learning about these two people because they both heavily contributed to yellow journalism. Hearst and Pulitzer are considered the pioneers of yellow journalism. While Ms. Black is considered a pioneer of investigative journalism. 

William Randolf Hearst

William Randolf Hearst was born in San Francisco California. He was given control of the San Francisco Examiner by his father after his father, a mining executive used the paper to run for California Senator. Heart used sensationalism to become popular in California. After Heart became a success in California, he used part of his family's fortune to buy the New York Morning Journal, a small New York newspaper. When Hearst arrived in New York City, the largest newspaper was owned by Joseph Pulitzer. Hearst was able to hire journalists away from Pulitzer by paying them more. He hired the creator of a popular cartoon known as The Yellow Kid. The Yellow Kid helped highlight many issues in society such as poverty and corruption. Hearst also was able to increase his circulation by selling his papers for one cent each.

The Yellow Kid

During the Spanish-American War, the popularity of Heart's paper, then known as the New York Journal, increased massively. He depicted the Spanish Empire as evil. Hearst was able to pin the US Maine exploding on the Spanish Empire. This was used as a justification for war against Spain. After the Spanish-American War, Hearst entered politics. He ran, as a progressive, and failed to win the New York City mayoral elections of 1905 and 1909, however, he was a representative for New York's 11th district from 1903 to 1907. 

Hearst became more conservative after the end of World War 1. He expressed support for American isolationism.  He supported FDR in 1932 but became an enemy of him after he supported unions. Hearst is mostly known today for his pioneering of sensationalism and starting the Spanish-American War, which paved the way for further US imperialism. 

Winifred Sweet Black

Winifred Sweet Black was born in 1863 in Chilton Wisconsin. She worked as a reporter and columnist for Heart's San Francisco Examiner writing articles about celebrities and other sensational stories. Ms. Black is known for pioneering investigative journalism. She was said to do anything to get a story. She once snuck herself onto a train to interview President Benjamin Harrison. She also wrote about problems in San Francisco emergency care, which resulted in a new ambulance being purchased. Ms. Black also disguised herself as a man to report on a tidal wave that killed 7000 people in Galveston Texas. She was able to persuade Hearst to set up a hospital there which saved the lives of many people. Winifred Sweet Black is best known today for being one of the pioneers of investigative journalism and being willing to do almost anything to get the truth.

Yellow journalism and investigative journalism helped expose our society's corrupt elements. They helped bring attention to the wrongdoings of the powerful to the average American, without these two techniques being pioneered by Hearst and Ms. Black, we would not have such a vibrant discourse in our country as we do today.