History of the Newsletter Tips

Frank E. Gannett

Frank E. Gannett and associates, founded a news and information company in 1906, and it was incorporated in 1923. Currently, the Gannett Co., Inc., holds 99 daily newspapers in the USA with a "combined daily paid circulation of 7.8 million." This also includes USA TODAY, the nation's largest-selling daily newspaper, with a circulation of approximately 2.3 million.

(For more information, please visit Gannett Co., Inc.)

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Donald W. Reynolds

Billionaire publisher, Donald W. Reynolds, held one of the largest of the few remaining privately-owned media empires in the U.S., the Donrey Media Group. According to reports, it included 52 daily newspapers, 50 non-dailies, five cable TV systems, and one TV station. He was routinely listed Reynolds as one of the world's richest people in Fortune Magazine.

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James Gordon Bennett

Scotsman James Gordon Bennett was born in 1795 and came to America in 1819. He began his newspaper career as Washington correspondent for the New York Enquirer and later, in 1835, founded the New York Herald. Although the Herald had a somewhat questionable reputation for news in its early beginnings, it later became a full and accurate paper during the period of the Civil War. It has been noted that Bennett "employed 63 war correspondents and spent $525,000 on war reporting."

James Gordon Bennett, (who shares his name with his dad), was born in New York City in 1841 and took over control of the New York Herald in 1867. Something you might not know about this newspaper publisher is that he financed Henry Stanley's expedition into Africa to find David Livingston!

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Joseph Pulitzer

Hungarian-born Joseph Pulitzer was the "most skillful of newspaper publishers, a passionate crusader against dishonest government, a fierce, hawk-like competitor who did not shrink from sensationalism in circulation struggles, and a visionary who richly endowed his profession" with the creation of the Pulitzer Prizes.

The Columbia School of Journalism was founded in 1912, one year after his death aboard his yacht, and the first Pulitzer Prizes were awarded in 1917.

(For more information, please visit The Pulitzer Prizes)

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Rupert Murdoch

Rupert Murdoch, Australian-born publishing magnate, became a U.S. citizen in 1985. His list of worldwide communication acquisitions is extensive, and includes "powerful holdings in Australia and New Zealand; the prestigious Times of London and other British papers; and, in the United States, HarperCollins book publishers, the New York Post, and TV Guide."

(For a closer look, please visit "Who's Afraid of Rupert Murdoch?")

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William Randolph Hearst

Born on April 29, 1863 in San Francisco, California, William Randolph Hearst, is most easily recognized as an important figure in the world of publishing. He acquired his first newspaper in 1887, the San Francisco Examiner, and at his peak, owned over 24 newspapers nationwide.

Although the construction of Hearst Castle in San Simeon, California was never completed, it "stands as the remarkable achievement of one man's dream."

(For more information, please visit Hearst Castle: History)

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George Hearst

Without much of a formal education, George Hearst (father of William Randolph Hearst), "quickly established himself in adulthood as a powerful miner and rancher in the Western United States."

He, himself, had little interest in the publishing industry, but was the key factor in beginning the Hearst legacy by surrendering control of the San Francisco Examiner, to only son, William.

(For more information, please visit Hearst Castle: History)

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Yellow Journalism

One of the most intense journalistic competitions was created when newspaper publishers Joseph Pulitzer (World) and William Randolph Hearst (Journal) went head-to-head with their publications to boost subscription rates and feed their egos. This resulted in less than honorable tactics and, thus, "yellow journalism" was born.

For more information, please visit:
Joseph Pulitzer and His Prize. John Therkelsen.
May 1996. Drew U. [June 1, 2001]

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George Guess

George Guess is the American name given to Cherokee Indian cultural hero, Sogwali. He was born in Taskigi, Tennessee in 1770, and is noted for promoting literacy throughout the Cherokee nation. George published the first Native American newspaper on Feb. 21, 1828 (printed in both Cherokee and English) using his invention, a syllabary.

George was also known to the missionaries as Sequoyah, and yes, the sequoia tree is named after him!

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