American Experience presents a virtual PAST FORWARD conversation exploring the rise of fake news from its roots in yellow journalism to the present. This event was inspired by the PBS broadcast premiere of our film, Citizen Hearst.
In the late 1800s, William Randolph Hearst pioneered yellow journalism, a style of reporting focused on eye-catching headlines and sensationalism over the accurate reporting of facts. Today, media consumers and journalists contend not only with exaggerated headlines and click-driven content, but stories shared exclusively to spread misinformation.
Our panelists examine the ubiquity of William Randolph Hearst’s media empire, the novel tactics he employed to build it, and its lasting impact on journalism today. They explore the parallels between Hearst’s pioneering methods and modern-day engagement-driven reporting, the proliferation of misleading and fake news online, and how journalists work to report the truth to an increasingly skeptical populace.
Featured guests include:
Paul Cheung – CEO, The Center for Public Integrity
Andie Tucher – Historian and author of Not Exactly Lying: Fake News and Fake Journalism in American History
The conversation is be moderated by Kelly McBride, Senior Vice President of The Poynter Institute and Public Editor for NPR.
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Learn more about American Experience: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/
Watch “Citizen Hearst”: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/citizen-hearst/
Watch other Past Forward conversations: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGIBrZBZupY&list=PLmh4YIWteoGhn6gwV1X_UebHijqwPHZ1_
