Discover how Nellie Bly went undercover to expose patient abuse in Bellevue Hospital in this video from the American Masters film Joseph Pulitzer: Voice of the People. Learn about the birth of investigative journalism and Joseph Pulitzer’s quest to “get a democracy on its feet” by exposing crime and corruption. Support materials include discussion questions and teaching tips for inspiring students to delve deeper into the history of women in journalism.

American Masters – Joseph Pulitzer: Voice of the People explores the remarkable man behind the prestigious prizes. A Jewish immigrant from Hungary, Joseph Pulitzer began as a gifted journalist before becoming a successful publisher and businessman. Pulitzer was famous in his own time for his outspoken and cantankerous editorial voice and his newspapers’ striking illustrations, visual style, national circulation, and financial success. Against the context of America’s explosive growth as a world force during the Gilded Age, Pulitzer emerges as the country’s first media titan, reshaping the newspaper to bear witness to and even propel that transformation. Joseph Pulitzer tirelessly championed what he regarded as the sacred role of the free press in a democracy.