Project Overview
The purpose of this project is to analyze the rise of William Randolph Hearst's newspaper empire between the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Through the use of graphs, I will visually showcase the circulation statistics of several newspapers owned by Hearst and examine any trends that stand out. In addition, I will map out the cities where Hearst either purchased or established a newspaper.
I argue that through statistical analysis, Hearst's corporation was able to increase the sales of newspapers that he had acquired. Once he purchased a newspaper, their circulation numbers would go up within a year or two. In addition, some of Hearst's newspapers that he had established, such as the New York Evening Journal and the Los Angeles Examiner proved to have growing circulation numbers amongst his other acquired newspapers. |
Who was Hearst?
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William Randolph Hearst was a journalist and newspaper mogul during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. He had purchased and established over a dozen American newspapers. He started out by acquiring the San Francisco Examiner from his father in 1887. Within a few decades, Hearst had created a newspaper empire, purchasing newspapers in various cities such as New York, Boston, Chicago, Washington D.C., and Atlanta. Eventually, his corporation had established the largest newspaper chain in the United States. Hearst's sensationalist way of presenting news to the public continues to live on in the modern American media. |
An example of one of Hearst's sensationalist headlines. This one discusses the destruction of the U.S.S. Maine in 1898.