History Of The Pulitzer Prizes: Joseph Pulitzer's Hard Work In Journalism

JAKARTA - "Leise, ganz leise," said Joseph Pulitzer before he died. In Indonesian, the expression means: Gently, quite gently. It happened October 29, 1911, while Pulizer was listening to his German secretary read aloud about King Louis XI of France.

Pulitzer is the publisher of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and New York World newspapers. He became a prominent national figure in the Democratic Party and was elected to Congress from New York.

Pulitzer also fought against big business and corruption, and helped guard the Statue of Liberty in New York. In addition, Pulitzer is the originator of the Pulitzer Prize, the most prestigious award in the world in the field of journalism.

This 1847-born man had extraordinary career opportunities that came in unique ways. Pulitzer was in the library's chess room, observing the behavior of two players and cleverly criticizing a move.

The players, impressed, then engage Pulitzer in the conversation. The cast were editors of the leading German daily, the Westliche Post, and job offers followed.

As quoted from pulitzer.org, it is stated that in 1872 the young Pulitzer, who had built a reputation as a tireless enterprising journalist, was offered a controlling stake in the paper by a nearly bankrupt owner.

At the age of 25, Pulitzer became a publisher and there followed a series of shrewd business deals from which he emerged in 1878 as the owner of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and a rising figure in the journalistic scene.

Pulitzer then married Kate Davis, a prominent woman in Washington. Pulitzer later became an American citizen and had other careers as a speaker, writer, and editor who mastered the English language very well.

Elegantly dressed, a reddish-brown beard and wearing glasses make Pulitzer look even more handsome. Pulitzer began to associate with the social elite of St. Louis, enjoys dancing at lavish parties and horseback riding in the park. This lifestyle was suddenly abandoned when he became the owner of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

James Wyman Barrett, the last editor of The New York World, notes in his biography 'Joseph Pulitzer and His World' how Pulitzer set up the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "working at his desk from morning to midnight or after, drawing himself in every detail of the paper. "

Pulitzer pleaded with the public to accept that his journal was their backer. Pulitzer also releases investigative and editorial articles attacking government corruption, tax evasion, and gamblers.

This appeal was effective, circulation increased, and newspapers prospered. Pulitzer was delighted to learn that in the implementation of the Pulitzer Prize system which he later founded, more awards in journalism were awarded for dismantling corruption than any other subject.

Pulitzer paid dearly for his unmitigated hard work on his paper. His health is declining, his eyes are damaged. Pulitzer's health was deteriorating and he fell into a deep depression due to an illness that made him very sensitive to noise. Pulitzer then went abroad looking for treatment, but failed to find it.

The next two decades of his life he spent most of his life in a soundproof "safe" aboard a yacht. During those years, despite his frequent travels, Pulitzer managed to maintain the editorial and business direction of his newspaper.

To ensure confidentiality in his communications, he relied on a code that filled out a book containing some 20,000 names and terms. In 1912, one year after Pulitzer's death, the Columbia School of Journalism was founded.

The first Pulitzer Prizes were awarded in 1917 under the auspices of the advisory board to which he was entrusted. Pulitzer envisioned an advisory board consisting mostly of newspaper publishers. Others include the president of Columbia University and scholars, and 'respectable persons who are neither journalists nor editors.'

*Read other information about WORLD HISTORY or read other interesting articles from Putri Ainur Islam.