Chapter 243: Hearst’s War
Davey was actually aware of these matters within the newspaper industry.
It had little to do with his past life—after all, who would have paid attention to such things back then?
He knew simply because he took an interest, and in the East this was hardly a secret. The controversy had been loud enough that anyone curious could learn about it.
It was only because the West lacked cultural development that almost no one bothered to pay attention.
“No, Mr. Fellowes. I am aware of the matter between Mr. Pulitzer and Mr. Hearst.
“As you said, Mr. Fellowes, Mr. Hearst has turned newspapers into something vulgar and coarse. On that point, I completely agree.
“Although Mr. Hearst achieved great success and pushed the New York Daily News past a circulation of 1.5 million, the content itself is excessively crude, far removed from anything that could be called civilized.
“Relying on such despicable methods strips newspapers of their credibility and turns them into tools for deceiving the public.
“Mr. Fellowes, I personally believe Mr. Pulitzer should not follow Mr. Hearst’s path. He should be upholding the credibility of newspapers.
“The current yellow journalism war is meaningless. It is nothing more than selling circulation by fooling the public. In my opinion, Mr. Pulitzer’s choice was a mistake.”
Within the newspaper industry, the late nineteenth century in the United States was known as a mythical era—the golden age of journalism.
The Mr. Pulitzer Davey referred to was a legendary newspaper tycoon. Although he never formed a complete monopoly, his influence was unquestionably deep-rooted and immense.
Most newspapers in the West had originated from Pulitzer’s expansion.
However, because the West was largely populated by immigrants with limited access to education and low literacy rates, the newspaper industry’s true focus remained in the East—especially in highly developed, civilized cities like the Big Apple.
“Do you really believe that, Mr. Land?”
Fellowes’s eyes lit up. The weariness he had shown earlier vanished, replaced by renewed energy.
Faced with that eager look, clearly craving affirmation, Davey nodded firmly.
“Yes, Mr. Fellowes. That’s exactly what I believe.”
By the end of the nineteenth century, competition in the American newspaper industry was fierce. Most newspapers were dull and indistinct, packed with text and lacking illustrations.
As a result, in 1895, Pulitzer introduced an innovation by launching a comic strip in The New York World. Its protagonist was a boy dressed in a yellow nightshirt.
In 1896, “The Yellow Boy” officially debuted. Using the character to present news events through illustrations and humor, the column was lively, engaging, and quickly became popular with readers.
It was this comic that firmly established Pulitzer as a legendary newspaper magnate.
Hearst, on the other hand, was a man with no bottom line. His father had also been a major figure in the newspaper business. While studying at Harvard, Hearst ran a student publication that gossiped about professors’ private lives, which ultimately led to his expulsion.
Later, he snatched the serialization rights to “The Yellow Boy” from Pulitzer’s New York World, then began aggressively pushing sensational headlines, exaggerating and inflating news stories to boost sales.
Under these circumstances, Pulitzer had no choice but to lower his own standards and fight back against Hearst.
Political scandals, criminal cases, sexual gossip, and rumors all became their primary focus.
To grab attention, they exaggerated relentlessly and even fabricated facts outright, abandoning all restraint and professional ethics.
For example, in the game’s story, Arthur’s dinosaur bone discovery was turned by Eastern newspapers into “Mysterious Giant Beast Reappears in the World.”
That was precisely why Davey believed Pulitzer’s decision had been a mistake.
“Mr. Land… this is simply incredible.
“I truly never expected to meet someone as knowledgeable as you in such a culturally barren place as the West.
“Yes, I also believe Mr. Pulitzer made a grave mistake. He should never have tried to imitate Hearst, stooping to such vulgar methods just to chase circulation.
“They’re consuming the very life of newspapers. If this continues, no one will trust what the papers say anymore.
“Hearst—I refuse to call him ‘sir.’ He is an evil man. For his own interests, he provoked a war and caused the deaths of countless innocent people. He deceived everyone. He is nothing but a demon.”
Fellowes’s emotions grew increasingly agitated.
On one hand, he was overjoyed to find a like-minded companion here in the West.
On the other, his hatred for Hearst ran deep.
The year before, in February 1898, the Maine incident had occurred.
Before any investigation had concluded, Hearst’s New York Journal declared that Spain was responsible and even offered a public reward of fifty thousand dollars for evidence of the crime.
In reality, after the Maine sank, everything remained calm. At the time, the Journal’s artist stationed in Cuba, Remington, sent Hearst a telegram: “All is quiet. No trouble here. There will be no war. I would like to come home.”
Hearst immediately replied, “Please stay in Cuba. You furnish the pictures, and I’ll furnish the war.”
Driven by newspaper propaganda, public sentiment in the United States boiled over, and on April 18 Congress passed the resolution to go to war.
The Spanish–American War erupted, later becoming known as “Hearst’s War.”
“Mr. Fellowes, please calm down a bit.”
Davey sighed helplessly. Fellowes’s emotions had risen so sharply that his voice had grown far too loud.
Davey guessed that the Spanish–American War might have taken the life of someone close to Fellowes—perhaps an American, perhaps a Spaniard—which was why his reaction was so intense.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Land. I lost my composure.”
Fellowes came back to his senses, took a deep breath, and spoke again after steadying himself.
Author's Note
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