The
name of William Randolph Hearst isn’t particularly well known to today’s folks
but at the turn from the 19th century to the 20th he was
recognized as one of the most powerful men in the world and was feared by his
enemies. He controlled politicians, the movie industry and corporations in a
way that only a Latin American dictator could do. At one time his newspapers
were the most read by the American people than any competitor and he made the
most of this power.
If
Hearst was alive today he would be ecstatic! Why you might wonder? Because he
was the father of yellow journalism! And it was this form of blatant dishonest
reporting that made himself and his newspapers famous. And this is how he
managed to achieve such power.
Yellow
journalism is merely a form of propaganda—only it is based on exaggeration,
false claims (outright lies presented as facts), deceit and selective reporting
to name just a few examples. And it was Hearst who made the most of the use of
these principles.
He
came from a wealthy family. His father George amassed his fortune in San
Francisco, California, in the gold fields and growing up young Randolph sipped
on the proverbial silver spoon.
Reaching adulthood
Hearst’s father purchased the struggling San Francisco Examiner and put his son
in charge. As a Harvard graduate William was more than up for the task.
Unfortunately however, he knew nothing about the newspaper business. Relying on instinct
and guile, he set about establishing what would turn out to be a revolution in
newspaper field.
Hearst quickly learned
that in order to sell papers he needed to sensationalize his product. When he
bought The New York Journal he incorporated what was to be his main stay—Yellow
Journalism and the rest became history.
During the war between
the United States and Cuba it was reported that when a famed illustrator
Fredric Remington who was working for Hearst covering the conflict asked to be
relieved from his job while stationed at Havana, Hearst sent an order to him
“…you furnish the pictures and I’ll furnish the war!”
At one time Hearst owned
20 daily and 11 Sunday papers and several major magazines. It is reported that
at one time almost every American read a Hearst publication.
But what sold the
products were the sensational headlines and slanted news. If a person was an
enemy of Hearst you could bet your bottom dollar they would be smeared.
Hearst used his money and
power effectively. In 1902 he ran for Congress and won. But with his main
interest in his publishing company and other non-governmental projects he held
the seat for only one two-year term and was ousted by a disgruntled public.
When his mother died she
left him the family fortune. Included in his inheritance was a 168,000 ranch in
California named “San Simeon” which was his private playground. Millionaires,
actors, government officials were all at one time or another invited to spend
days or weeks at the ranch. He had it all and he controlled it all including
his guests’ behavior.
But the thing that really
made him famous was his ability to bamboozle the public. All his newspapers and
magazines relied on yellow journalism. Facts meant little if it interfered with
what the position of the paper wanted. Screaming headlines, artfully tailored
stories bypassing the truth, and selective reporting was the main ingredient of
a Hearst paper. And they sold like hotcakes.
Unfortunately today not
too much has changed. The majority of major newspapers rely on selective
reporting. They also rely on screaming headlines and tailored stories. Much of
this can be attributed to political coverage. A lot of this can be traced back
to the formation of who are considered “journalists” today. Just about all of
them were trained by liberal professors who have their own passion and
convictions. “Freedom of the press” is a cherished retort to anyone who
challenges their position. Subjectivity is regarded a higher standard rather
than objective reporting. Bias, slanted quotes out of context and personal
opinion are the weapons many journalists rely on. They want their own beliefs
accepted rather than the beliefs of opponents and the best way to achieve this
goal is the use of yellow journalism.
Where does all this lead
you may ask?
Watching national cable news
television and listening to the various “correspondents” and “commentators” is
the first clue. All one need to do is switch from one channel to another you
can quickly pick up on a common theme. During this time of political reporting
it isn’t uncommon to hear the majority of these folks excoriating Donald Trump
for his position on any subject, his off the cuff “gaffs” or any particular
comment by their “reporting” taken out of context. It’s only business as usual.
Finally why the use of
yellow journalism other than the flamboyancy and heart string tugs at the
listening or reading audience? The real reason is to convince their audience
that in order to make the right voting decision they need to rely on these
“experts” no matter what they spew as “news.” Cunning, deceit, lies or outright
exaggeration are the tools to gain the people’s support and vote.
Watching Trump’s speeches
and watching his expressions and listening to his delivery and then watching
one of the cable news reports you can’t help wonder if you actually DID hear
and see what Trump said. The distortion is remarkable and unmistakable. At this
juncture of the campaign they may have achieved their goal—he has no chance!
Like I said; Hearst would
love this era.
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