Hearst, William Randolph

William Randolph Hearst (1863–1951) is one of the most controversial and disparaged names in journalism. Hearst was a wealthy editor, publisher, entrepreneur, politician, art collector, and studio owner whose career helped define several periods of innovation and excess in American news media. He was a vigorous, larger-than-life character to whom the barnacles of media myth are firmly attached. That Hearst wielded such dark power as to foment a war is but one example. This entry examines Hearst’s career, his journalism, his political aspirations, his private life, and his legacy.