Joseph Pulitzer
Photo from: inwrite.com
I listened to another team's presentation on Joseph Pulitzer. Joseph Pulitzer was a famous publisher and editor during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.Pulitzer is originally from Mako, Hungary and was born to an opulent family. He received a private education and was multilingual, as he spoke Hungarian, German and French.
Pulitzer attempted to enlist in the European army but was rejected by virtue of his petite figure, deficiencies in vision and weak lungs. Following his rejection from the European army, Pulitzer immigrated to the United States in the 1860s and was drafted as a Union Soldier during the Civil War.
When the Civil War ended, Pulitzer worked various menial jobs before relocating to St. Louis, Missouri and embarking on a career in Journalism. He started off reporting for the Westliche Post while simultaneously studying Law and English.
Early in his career as a journalist, Pulitzer accumulated wealth by purchasing and selling newspapers, such as the St. Lous Post for exorbitant sums of money. He then took the profits he earned and invested it in his law school education, as well as to launch his political career.
Although Pulitzer resided in an overwhelmingly Democratic district, he was ironically endorsed by Republicans to seek a position in the Missouri State Legislature. Pulitzer was successful in achieving this victory, and once elected, his signature issues included corruption and graft.
Photo from: films.com
His most infamous moment in his political career was when he shot and wounded a lobbyist during a debate in the legislative chambers. Despite how Pulitzer maintained his position in the aftermath of the incident, his political career nevertheless suffered as a result.
Throughout Pulitzer's Journalism career, he was most notable for his works, which entailed sensationalism and yellow journalism. His objective in publishing such stories was to increase readership and captivate larger audiences. 
Photo from: pbs.com
Some of the topics covered in his New York World newspaper were crime, fraud, and ridicule of the upper class and working poor. Pulitzer's stance on crime essentially articulated that in order to combat the issue, people first must examine the root causes and from there, formulate strategies as to how to rectify them.
His condemnation of wealthy denizens stemmed from his frustration on their lack of efforts to finance pedestal construction. On the other hand, he did not approve of the working class and working poor solely depending on people of a higher socioeconomic status to allocate funds and monetary resources.
Overall though, Pulitzer intended to shine a light on corrupt acts in society that were otherwise concealed or disregarded. After Pulitzer's death in 1911, the money from his will was used to supply the formation of the school of journalism at Columbia University in New York City.
Furthermore, the university distributes annual Pulitzer Prizes to students who have made noteworthy accomplishments in liberal arts, such as journalism, music and literature. I enjoyed listening to this presentation, and I thought it was especially intriguing to learn about Pulitzer's journalism and political career. 
Photo from: pulitzer.org
Considering how journalism and politics are intertwined, I now have a better understanding on how one career prepares you for the other. I love Journalism and Politics and have long contemplated either becoming a political commentator like Rachel Maddow, or embarking on a political career after retiring from my career as a journalist.
As of now, I must admit it is hard to determine which side of the political spectrum I will lean towards. I try to see both sides, but at the same time, there is just so divisiveness and polarization, which makes it difficult for me to decide where I should stand.
Will my generation be the one to bridge the gaps in our political climate? One can only hope.
No comments:
Post a Comment