We Never Really Wanted Actual News

Softcore History

How did Pulitzer, Hearst, et al. sell papers? It wasn’t with the high-brow stuff. They sent reporters to hospitals to write about the gruesome murders and horrible (or embarrassing, alcohol-fueled) injuries a city’s residents had suffered that day. We break down a paper full of those stories -- the August 23rd, 1897 edition of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

To listen to explicit episodes, sign in.

Stay up to date with this show

Sign in or sign up to follow shows, save episodes, and get the latest updates.

Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

Asia Pacific

Europe

Latin America and the Caribbean

The United States and Canada