The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1911-11-09
Pulitzer Of The World.

The death Of Joseph Pulitzer on
his yacht at Charleston endsa caree,
which may be truly described as
epochhal in the history of journalism.
When Pulitzer acquired The New
York World twenty eight years ago
newspaper readers were still rather
limited class. 1t was his idea, doubt
less inspired in large part by person
al contact with the immigrant mass
es, to produce a newspaper which
would tap new fields. He did not
design, however, as Hearst's Even
ing Journal did later on, to produce
a newspaper for the crude reader
alone. He designed a genuinely
popular publication, though he con-
sidered much sensation, huge type
and horn-blowing necessary as means
to this end. Likewise he saw that
the newspaper might usefully and
profitably constitute itself a champ
ion of the city masses against exploi-
tation Of various kinds. So the
World soon appeared to conservative
observers as screamer every day
and self-seeking crusader whenever
the opportunity occurred. 1t also in
troduced that manner Of Sunday
supplement which for pictorial pur-
poses is always discovering buried
cities, missing links, new inventions
spelling an end to war, and much
other pseudosciece, as we'll as inter-
views with celebrities along freakish
lines, love and beauty discourses by
women writer's, etc. Much of the
new matter was sheer trash, of
course. but it was mainly harmless.
The popularity Of Mr.. Pulitzer's
methods soon became so apparent
that nearly all American newspaper
dom borrowed from them more or
less, and some features which ap-
peared freakish then are found in
conservative journals now. Most
of the odium incurred really arose
from the fact that Pulitzer had
largely ignored the traditions Of
hitherto dignifed profession and had
Jared in his professional brethen's
estimation as undignifed innovators
in any profession usually do:
By present standards, at least, The
World could not be fairly called
yellow" until after the advent of
Hearst journalism seventeen years
ago. The Hearst papers "hired all
The Worlds best liars" and intro
duced yellow journalism to the
American people. Not liking to be
ousted from it's special field, The
World accepted the challenge and
for some years waged with Hearst a
rivalry which if it did not follow
him to the most maudlin depths,
was in all conscience quite bad
enough. Butt may have been a
mere coincidence-about the time
Mr.. Pulitzer's total blindness began
The World started a return to sanity
again. Mr.. Pulitzer concluded that
he could afford to leave Mr.. Hearst
in possession at the lowest levels.
He preferred a better average
clientelage than that which supplies
The Evening Journal with an enor-
nous circulation but which is said
to change almost completely every
six months Evening Journal read
ers choosing something less crude
after they have become accustomed
to reading any newspaper at all.
Besides, yellow journalism spent it.
self to some extent, and the Hearst
journals themselves are not now half
as sensational as they were.
Mr.. Pulitzer's death leaves The
World standing as great monument
to his memory. It is perhaps the
best of the broadly popular news
papers in our large cities, and per-
haps also the most influential. The
final verdict upon his career will be
that he did vast deal to popularize
journalism and nothing of conse-
quence to degrade it. Personally
he was man of kindly instincts and
enlightened mind who used the large
fortune which his newspaper success,
brought him to do much good. Jew
ish race and German education con-
ferred distinct benefaction upon
America when Joseph Pulitzer came
among us during the civil war;
Charlotte Observer.
Hall a Loaf.