Joseph Pulitzer American journalist Date of Birth: 11.04.1847 Country: USA

1. Biography of Joseph Pulitzer
2. Rise in Journalism and Politics
3. Yellow Journalism and Political Career

Biography of Joseph Pulitzer

Joseph Pulitzer (1847–1911) was an American journalist and newspaper publisher. He was born on April 10, 1847, in Makó, Hungary, and spent his childhood in Budapest, where he received a classical education. At the age of 17, he immigrated to the United States and served as a private in the 1st New York Cavalry Regiment under the command of Carl Schurz until 1865. After his discharge, he struggled to make ends meet until 1867 when he finally found work as a reporter for the "Westliche Post," a German daily newspaper in St. Louis, which was edited by Schurz himself. It was during this time that Pulitzer obtained his American citizenship.

Rise in Journalism and Politics

Pulitzer quickly rose to prominence both in local politics and journalism. In 1869, he was elected to the Missouri State Legislature and concurrently served as a special correspondent for the "Westliche Post" covering the state congress. He later became the police commissioner of St. Louis and a supporter of the liberal Republican movement. In 1872, he was appointed as the secretary of the liberal Republican convention in Cincinnati, where Horace Greeley was nominated as the presidential candidate. After the party's failure in the elections, Pulitzer joined the Democratic Party.

In 1871, Pulitzer became a co-owner of the "Westliche Post," but sold his share in 1873. In 1876, he obtained the right to practice law in the District of Columbia and worked as a correspondent for the "New York Times" in Washington, D.C., during the winter of 1876–1877. In 1878, he purchased the St. Louis "Dispatch" and the St. Louis "Post" and merged the two newspapers into one called the "St. Louis Post-Dispatch." He wielded the power of the press decisively, and his "Post-Dispatch" soon became one of the most influential and profitable publications in the American West.

Yellow Journalism and Political Career

In 1880, Pulitzer was elected as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention but was unsuccessful in his bid for a congressional seat. In 1883, he purchased the "New York World" from Jay Gould and transformed it into a popular newspaper of sensational news with illustrations and comics by 1885. The "World," along with its inclination towards exposing corruption, was labeled "yellow journalism." By the end of the century, the "World" overshadowed Hearst's "Evening Journal," and as the leading organ of the Democratic Party, it adopted conservative positions.

In 1885, Pulitzer was elected to the U.S. Congress from the state of New York, but his failing health forced him to resign the following year. In August 1903, Pulitzer used his personal funds to establish the School of Journalism at Columbia University and founded the Pulitzer Prizes. He also made generous donations to philanthropic organizations. Pulitzer passed away on October 29, 1911, in Charleston, South Carolina.