HEARST, WILLIAM RANDOLPH ), Ameri can publisher, was born in San Francisco in April 1863, the son of George Hearst, a California pioneer who amassed a large for tune in ranch and mining lands, and who served as U.S. senator from 1886 to 1893. He entered Harvard in 1882 and remained two years. Becoming interested in journalism, he visited Boston newspaper offices, studied newspapers from all parts of the coun try, and paid special attention to the success of the New York World under Joseph Pulitzer. On his return to California he took first, partial and in 1887 complete control of the San Francisco Examiner, which the elder Hearst had bought for political objects. Within two years he made this journal pay, and with an efficient staff used it for many newspaper experiments.
Hearst invaded New York journalism in Sept. 1895 by buying the unsuccessful Morning Journal, which he made a one-cent newspaper of highly popular type. To it he brought many able workers, including Julian Hawthorne, E. W. Townsend, Stephen Crane, Julian Ralph, and the cartoonist Homer Davenport, while he immediately raided the New York World for the best members of Pulitzer's Sunday staff, including R. F. Outcault, the inventor of the modern coloured comic pictures. By the use of numerous illustrations, coloured magazine sections and glaring headlines, by sensational articles on crime and pseudo-scientific topics, and by a jingo policy in foreign affairs, the Journal (an evening edition was started in 1896) was shortly given an unprecedented circulation. On the day after the election in 1896 it printed 1,5o6,000 copies of its several editions. Under Hearst's control the Journal at tacked England in the Venezuela affairs, supported Bryan in 1896, demanded war with Spain in 1897-98, launched a series of attacks against municipal "franchise grabs" and supported Bryan again in 1 goo, bitterly assailing McKinley and Mark Hanna as tools of the trusts. An editorial statement in April 1901 that "if bad institutions and bad men can be got rid of only by killing, then the killing must be done," led Roosevelt in his first message after McKinley's assassination to denounce "exploiters of sensa tionalism" in words which he later (1906) declared he meant for Hearst.
The success of the Journal led Hearst to establish the Chicago American in 1900, the Chicago Examiner in 1902, and the Boston American in 1904. Other newspapers were purchased in 1912, and in 1917 he launched an energetic policy of expansion, so that by 1925 he owned 25 newspapers in 17 cities, including every sec tion of the United States. After 1904, when he supported Parker, he paid decreasing attention to editorial leadership, declaring in 1924 that "newspapers do not form the opinion of the public, but if they are to be successful they must express the opinion of the public." But he supported Wilson in 1912 and 1916; he opposed American entrance into the World War; he waged unremitting warfare against the League of Nations, and demanded payment of the war debts in full. Late in 1916 the British and French gov ernments denied Hearst the use of their mails and cables. But in 1927 he suddenly emerged as the champion of a bond of close friendship and practical co-operation among all English-speaking countries, and vigorously pushed the proposal. In the 1928 cam paign he favoured the Republican national ticket. All his news papers made use of common features and articles, all showed a modified sensationalism, and with wide variations in State politics, all expressed the same national views. Meanwhile, he embarked in other publishing enterprises. He purchased the Cosmopolitan monthly in 1905, the World To-day in 191 i, and Harper's Bazaar and other magazines, including Nash's Magazine in England, at later dates. He published books, chiefly fiction, and later in his career produced motion pictures on a large scale.
Hearst's role in politics was ambitious but unsuccessful. While serving two inactive terms in the national House (19o3-07 ), he ran in 1905 for mayor of New York on an anti-Tammany munic ipal ownership ticket, and came within 3,00o votes of winning; and the following year, as Democratic nominee for governor of New York he was defeated by Charles E. Hughes. A heavier defeat for mayor of New York followed in 1909, and though he was later frequently suggested for mayor or governor till his quarrel with Alfred E. Smith in 1924 destroyed his Democratic following, he was never again nominated. His importance has lain in the huge scale of his newspaper operations, and though he hardly ranks as a great innovator—his sensationalism imitated Pulitzer's, while E. W. Scripps preceded him in forming a news paper chain—the Hearst methods have profoundly influenced American journalism.
See John K. Winkler, W. R. Hearst, An American Phenomenon (1928). (A. N.)