Biographer delves into beginnings of mass media
Joseph Pulitzer was a pioneer of journalism in the mid-19th century who began to use word craft to keep American government in line, and was first to establish an independent press, said biogrpaher and Pulitzer expert James McGrath Morris.
“He knows more about Pulitzer than anyone on the planet today,” said Ted Pease, head of USU’s journalism and communications department.
The lecture was held Tuesday as part of the Morris Media and Society Lecture Series which Pease said was created to give students a broader sense of the real world.
At this time in the 19th century, Pulitzer – a German emigrant – bought the New York World and is, perhaps, the first to introduce mass media to the United States, Morris said. Upon arriving in America, Pulitzer entered into the realm of journalism which was drastically different at that time.
“His (Pulitzer’s) views of journalism changed immensely,” he said, “Like a painter’s realization that they are part of something bigger.”
Pulitzer was part of the first independent newspaper, which was a big change for the time, Morris said. Newspapers were normally paid for by supporting organizations or groups. For example, the competing newspapers in St. Louis, Mo. during Pulitzer’s arrival in America were “The Missouri Republican,” and “The Missouri Democrat.”
Most recognize Pulitzer’s name because of the Pulitzer Prize, an award he established before his death for authors who create writing that impacts the masses, Morris said. His aim was to give recognition to those who pursued the same work he did. He also established the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
“Newspapers were very polite, expensive and read by the upper class,” Morris said. “A printing press in the 19th century is like an iPad in the 20th century. It was so exciting people would come to see press rooms.”
The kind of people who read newspapers were those who held their pinkies up while sipping tea, Morris said, and were appalled by the content Pulitzer published. He said these people were “missing the point.”
However, Pulitzer found it imperative to appeal to the “average” American citizen, Morris said.
After Pulitzer made his mark in the journalism world through the “The New York World,” newspapers were diverse, written for the common man, and included cartoons and sometimes sheet music, he said.
“He had come to appreciate journalism as something sacred in
democracy,” Morris said.
In order to research for his book, Morris said he spent a large portion of the day taking copious notes, studying the U.S. archives and was able to travel to Paris after finding a Pulitzer family member who had his brother, Albert’s, journal. Morris was able to photocopy these pages and unleash an entirely new face of Pulitzer that his previous biographer left out.
Morris worked previously as a journalist and said he acquired many of his nonfiction writing skills from his experiences in this profession.
“Journalism is the best training ground for writing, some writers better than me, they haven’t succeeded, the secret to success in life is showing up,” Morris said. “You have to turn in the story.”
Morris said newspapers in the 19th century had constant deadlines, seeing as new editions of the day’s paper were coming out multiple times in a day with the latest news. Pulitzer’s newspaper “The New York World” was the first to have a rivalry independent newspaper which was owned by William Randolph Hearst, “The New York Journal.” This publication ended up being Pulitzer’s downfall.
Through his research, Morris said he has grown to respect Pulitzer’s ambition to create social awareness.
“For me, I’m lucky, the process of writing and the journey is more important than the finished product,” Morris said. “I’m not filled with regret or disappointment, I was doing it all the time, but now I can get paid to do it.”
– catherine.meidell@aggiemail.usu.edu