The following is an adapted version of an article originally published in Hungarian in Magyar Krónika.

America—the new world, the land of opportunity, the land of the free. In the 19th and 20th centuries, hundreds of thousands of Hungarians left their former lives behind to cross the Atlantic and try their luck Far Far Away, that is, ‘Beyond the Óperencia’, as Hungarian fairy tales go. In its series, Magyar Krónika looks at the meeting points of America and Hungary through the Hungarian diaspora living in the US. In this part, let us continue the story of Joseph Pulitzer, who, as a press magnate, considered education, opinion-forming, and influence to be his primary goals.

The press is considered to be the ‘fourth branch of government’. This is no coincidence, as shaping public opinion gives various media outlets extraordinary power. At the end of the 19th century, technological, economic, and social changes took place that enabled the press to act as a powerful factor. This article will explore how Joseph Pulitzer, a newspaper owner of Hungarian origin, took advantage of this opportunity.

The roots of the American press go back even further than the birth of the United States. The first newspapers appeared in the major cities of the colonial era, mainly in port cities, with a circulation of around 500–1000 copies, although their readership was larger than this. They usually published announcements from the city administration, commercial information, and ship arrival and departure data, supplemented by foreign news from London newspapers. The editor of the newspaper often did the printing himself. It was a long road to the development of a press primarily reporting facts and events.

The first newspaper in the modern sense appeared in Boston in 1690, but it was banned by the authorities shortly after its publication. Incidentally, its first news item reported on Native Americans who had converted to Christianity. By 1775, 35 newspapers had been established, which was, of course, a small number compared to England. The real history of the press in the United States began when England granted fundamental civil rights, including freedom of the press, and value-laden journalism became widespread. The original Constitution of 1787 was amended in 1791 with ten constitutional amendments, according to which every citizen has the right to speak and write about anything, but is subsequently responsible for doing so.

‘It was [the Civil War] era that journalism truly became a means of mass communication and newspaper publishing became a business’

In the first half of the 19th century, the American press was characterized by small print runs and low quality. However, the news requirements of the Civil War brought radical changes. It was that era that journalism truly became a means of mass communication and newspaper publishing became a business. However, there were also technical and economic prerequisites for this. Cheap paper, the steam-powered printing press that became widespread in the 1830s, and the rotary printing technique used from 1847 onwards all contributed to the cheap publication of newspapers in large print runs, so more and more newspapers bought their own printing machines. In addition to quantity, the scope and format also increased, and the use of attention-grabbing headlines was also a major innovation. These reforms were, of course, costly, and newspaper owners covered the increased expenses with profits from commercial advertisements. The income from advertising ensured economic independence for the more successful newspapers, which also eliminated their direct dependence on political parties. As a result, the major press outlets ceased to be mouthpieces for party propaganda and sought to develop their own political image. Thanks to technological advances and a growing market, the ‘penny press’ emerged. One of the pioneers of this phenomenon was The Sun, founded in 1833, the first successful penny daily newspaper. Its popularity was due in part to the fact that it sold for one cent instead of the usual six.

Around the turn of the century, monopolization led to a decline in the number of newspaper types, but circulation continued to grow. The subject matter of newspapers also changed, with literary, scientific, and religious news and topics taking a back seat to gossip, sports, and scandals. The American press increasingly sought to meet the demands of the masses, with the goal of making a profit. As it was said back then, ‘the modern press tries to serve two masters: the sponsor and the people’. Protestant ethics also took on a new hue, with the new motivation for norms no longer being religion, but a market that amplified the expectations of the public.

‘The American press increasingly sought to meet the demands of the masses, with the goal of making a profit’

As a newspaper owner, Joseph Pulitzer had a keen sense of the direction in which the press was changing, and so The World always enjoyed great popularity. His primary goal was to create a popular mass-market newspaper combined with the characteristics of a high-quality elite newspaper. He believed that public service could only be achieved with high circulation figures. He wanted to appeal to a wide audience, so his newspaper was entertaining, readable, light-hearted, sensational, and informative. When necessary, he led public ‘crusades’, launched press campaigns, or published investigative sociographic reports. He recognized the importance of illustrations and switched to using photographs as soon as possible. He changed the layout of the pages and increased the size of the Sunday edition. The aim of all this was to attract attention and increase circulation, which he multiplied several times over just a few years. In his editorial articles in The World, Pulitzer also voiced his demands for reforms against corruption and monopolies.

He was both a pioneer of ‘innovative journalism’ and one of the last titans of personal journalism, as he continued to handle and oversee his newspapers until the end of his life, despite his illnesses. It is thanks to him, among others, that the editorial page retained its prominent role in later years as well.

He was involved in politics and supported the Democrats, but as soon as his views clashed with party politics, he immediately spoke out. He always saw increasing circulation and making a profit as a means to an end, not as an end in itself. Journalism never became merely a business in his eyes. He considered his primary goal to be education, opinion-forming, and influence. Although his methods were not unique, many used them separately, and it was only he who used them in such quantity and with such unity. This made the Pulitzer press unique—that is why his newspaper became completely synonymous with his name.

You can read about Joseph Pulitzer’s further adventures in Part IV.

This article is based on András Csillag’s work titled Joseph Pulitzer and the American Press.

Read the previous parts of the series below:

Click here to read the original article.