Today's mass media have been shaped by hundreds of years of reporting, journalism, and personal opinion. America's mainstream media thrives on stretching the truth and "creating" interesting stories for the public. Such tactics can be attributed to people such as William Randolph Hearst, a newspaper magnate from the late 19th to the 20th centuries. Hearst greatly influenced the practice of American journalism through his wealth, his short political career, and his use of unorthodox reporting methods such as yellow journalism. Born in San Francisco in 1863 to California Gold Rush millionaire George Hearst, William Randolph showed a love of journalism from his youth. age. While attending Harvard College, he wrote for the Harvard Lampoon, the university's local newspaper ("William Randolph Hearst" pbs.org). After showing great promise as a journalist, he quickly apprenticed to his influential journalist Joseph Pulitzer who, at the time, was working as an editor at the New York World (the most popular newspaper in the country). Hearst, however, eventually returned to his hometown to become the publisher of his father's newspaper, the San Francisco Examiner. In 1887, Hearst officially became editor and began running the Examiner; while in charge, he began implementing many changes (pbs.org). His advances included hiring many of the great writers of the day (such as Mark Twain, Jack London, and Ambrose Bierce), modernizing the equipment used to print newspapers, and working day and night to produce interesting titles and eye-catching. In less than three years, Hearst had propelled the Examiner to the top and was beginning to rival the New York World and its former hero Joseph Pulitzer. While still working as editor of his San Francisco newspaper, H...... middle of paper ...... lonely man who consumed his life greedily and pushed away those close to him. Although Hearst slowed the social acceptance of this film, he failed to stop it; it is today considered one of the greatest films of all time. William Randolph Hearst was a man motivated by money and publicity throughout his life. He created a media empire that expanded across the country using his biased headlines and outlandish articles. By introducing yellow journalism to the world of journalism, he opened up a whole new style not only for the journalists of his time, but also for those of tomorrow. Although he sided with Hitler and opposed FDR, his feud with Orson Welles over the production and release of Citizen Kane ultimately led to his permanent demise. His death in 1951 at the age of 88 left him missing but never forgotten as a man who forever changed the world of newspapers and media..