Using provocative newspaper headlines and illustrations, exaggerated storylines and compelling

narratives, the publisher William Randolph Hearst influenced the American public for over 50 years. He

controlled a media empire during the first half of the 20 th Century that comprised daily newspapers,

radio stations, syndicated features, and a movie production company. At the height of his power in

1930, it’s estimated that at least one in five Americans who read a Sunday newspaper read a Hearst

paper. Hearst’s philosophy was that not only did his newspapers report the news, but they also MADE

the news. His media coverage of news events reflected and amplified his opinions and passions.

A complex and controversial man, William Hearst had an intense interest in politics, and served as a

congressman in New York for two terms in the early 1900s. He even contended for the Democratic

nomination for president in 1904. Though he failed in that attempt, he exerted more influence upon

public opinion through his media than was possible by most politicians.

Due to his mother’s influence, William Hearst was also an avid art collector who eagerly bought

European art, especially after World War One, when the continent was rebuilding. He built numerous

palatial estates that showcased his art collection, the most famous being Hearst Castle, a State Historical

Monument in California.