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Not Quite a Prize

Before watching "Joseph Pulitzer: Voice of the People" I didn't know all that much about Joseph Pulitzer. What I did know is that the Pulitzer Prize is named for him, and that it is an award for achievements in newspaper, magazine, and online journalism, literature, and musical composition in the United States.

Oren Rudavsky's documentary about the immigrant who shaped American journalism feels a lot like a show on PBS. Perhaps that's because it is premiering on the American Masters Series next month on PBS.

The film switches back and forth between talking heads describing Pulitzer's life, historical footage, and re-enactments. The first two work fine, but the re-enactments are cheesy; but that's my opinion of just about all re-enactments.

We learn that Pulitzer was born in Hungary in 1847 and came to America during the Civil War. Like many immigrants at that time he joined the Union Army and fought for the north. Afterward, he sought employment and eventually settled in St. Louis. Pulitzer was exceptionally bright and a complete workaholic, to the point where it annoyed his co-workers. His attributes led to a meteoric rise in his career, resulting in his buying two newspapers and merging them into the St. Louis Dispatch.

By far the strongest message that comes across is Pulitzer's belief that a newspaper's primary job isn't just to give people the news of the day. He believed that a free press was essential for a democracy to grow and thrive, and he knew he wasn't doing a good job of it unless he was making powerful enemies. Pulitzer made plenty of them, including President Theodore Roosevelt.

It's not difficult to come to the conclusion that no one in the history of the free press is more important than Joseph Pulitzer. That is the best part of this documentary. However, I can't help thinking that a better documentary of Joseph Pulitzer is very attainable. As an educational tool, it soars. As a film, it's only pretty good.