Joseph Pulitzer: Voice of the American People

First Five

“Joseph Pulitzer: Voice of the People,” a new film airing April 12 on PBS as part of its American Masters series, provides unique insight into Pulitzer’s innovative approach to journalism excellence that still resonates more than a century later with the annual Pulitzer Prizes. In this episode, we talk with the film’s Emmy and Peabody Award-winning writer and producer Robert Seidman about how Pulitzer anticipated the contemporary discussion over “fake news.” In addition, we talk about how his emphasis on short, punchy stories and color graphics combined with an obsessive demand for accuracy propelled his New York World to the top of the American newspaper scene at the start of the 20th Century.