Joseph Pulitzer
Hungarian-American publisher who revolutionized journalism and endowed the Pulitzer Prizes.
Joseph Pulitzer (born József Pulitzer; April 10, 1847 – October 29, 1911) was a Hungarian-American politician and newspaper publisher of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and the New York World. He served one term representing New York's 9th congressional district and was a leading national figure in the U.S. Democratic Party. Born to Jewish merchant parents in Makó, Hungary, his family moved to Pest after his father’s retirement, but his father’s death and subsequent bankruptcy left them impoverished. After being rejected by several European armies, Pulitzer enlisted in a Union cavalry regiment during the American Civil War, arriving in the U.S. unable to speak English. Following the war, he drifted through New York and Massachusetts before settling in St. Louis, where his German language skills proved valuable among the large German immigrant population. He worked briefly as a mule hostler and a waiter, but struggled to hold jobs due to his slight build and temperament. He spent his free time at the St. Louis Mercantile Library, studying English and reading widely, and was eventually hired as a reporter for the German-language newspaper *Westliche Post* in 1868. Pulitzer later became publisher of the *St. Louis Post-Dispatch* and the *New York World*. In the 1890s, his fierce rivalry with William Randolph Hearst’s *New York Journal* drove both papers to adopt the techniques of yellow journalism, using sensationalism, crime, sex, and graphic horrors to win readers. Circulation soared to a million copies a day, and this approach helped create mass-circulation newspapers funded primarily by advertising revenue rather than cover price or political subsidies. Pulitzer’s name endures through the Pulitzer Prizes, established by his will and first awarded in 1917 by Columbia University, which recognize excellence in journalism, literature, music, and drama. He also funded the Columbia School of Journalism, which opened in 1912.
- field
- Newspaper publishing, politics
- nationality
- Hungarian-American
- known_for
- Founding the Pulitzer Prizes; pioneering yellow journalism; publishing the New York World
Lore & Background
Pulitzer was born in Makó, Hungary, to Jewish parents Elize and Fülöp Pulitzer. After his father's death, the family became impoverished. He emigrated to the United States in 1864, served in the Union Army during the Civil War, and later settled in St. Louis. He worked as a reporter for the German-language Westliche Post and was elected to the Missouri State Legislature in 1869 at age 22. In the 1890s, his New York World competed fiercely with William Randolph Hearst's New York Journal, developing yellow journalism techniques that emphasized sensationalism, sex, crime, and graphic horrors. His will established the Pulitzer Prizes at Columbia University, first awarded in 1917, and funded the Columbia School of Journalism, which opened in 1912.
Reader's Guide
Pulitzer’s professional life was defined by fierce rivalry and innovation in newspaper publishing. After his early career in St. Louis, he took control of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and later the New York World. In the 1890s, his World engaged in intense competition with William Randolph Hearst’s New York Journal, a battle that led both publishers to develop the techniques of yellow journalism. This approach attracted readers through sensationalism, focusing on sex, crime, and graphic horrors, and circulation soared to a million copies a day. The journalism pioneered by Pulitzer and Hearst shifted the economic model of newspapers, making them dependent on advertising revenue rather than cover prices or political-party subsidies. These mass-circulation papers drew audiences by combining news, gossip, entertainment, and advertising. Pulitzer’s legacy is most famously tied to the Pulitzer Prizes, established in 1917 through a specific endowment in his will to Columbia University. The university awards these prizes annually to recognize excellence in American journalism, photography, literature, history, poetry, music, and drama. He also funded the Columbia School of Journalism with his philanthropic bequest; it opened in 1912. His career thus transformed American journalism, linking it to mass readership, commercial advertising, and enduring standards of professional recognition.
Did You Know?
- Pulitzer could not speak English when he arrived in Boston Harbor in 1864 at age 17.
- He sold his only possession, a white handkerchief, for 75 cents after moving to St. Louis.
- He was nicknamed 'Shakespeare' by attorneys because of his extraordinary profile.
- His newspaper the New York World reached a circulation of a million copies a day.
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