History of the Los Angeles Express Newspaper
Introduction
Los Angeles! The City Of Angels, as it is fondly called with an estimated population of nearly four million people, it is the second-most populous city in the United States (after New York City) and the third-most populous city in North America (after Mexico City and New York City). The history of Los Angeles would not be complete without recognizing one of its leading newspapers, Los Angeles Express. The Los Angeles Express was once a leading source of breaking news, entertainment, sports, politics, and more for Southern California and the world and played an important role in the formation of the modern newspaper in this West Coast metropolis. Digging a little deeper into the newspaper’s history would enable us to understand the journey from its advent to several other acquisitions.
History
The Los Angeles Express was a newspaper published in Los Angeles in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Los Angeles Express Newspaper was the oldest newspaper in Los Angeles, founded on March 27, 1871. William Randolph Hearst acquired the newspaper in 1931. It merged with the Los Angeles Herald and became an evening newspaper known as the Los Angeles Herald-Express. A 1962 combination with Hearst’s morning Los Angeles Examiner resulted in its final incarnation as the evening Los Angeles Herald-Examiner.
William Randolph Hearst
William Randolph Hearst was an American businessman, newspaper publisher, and politician known for developing the nation’s largest newspaper chain and media company, Hearst Communications. Hearst entered the publishing business in 1887 with Mitchell Trubitt after being given control of The San Francisco Examiner by his wealthy father, Senator George Hearst. Acquiring more newspapers, Hearst created a chain that numbered nearly 30 papers in major American cities at its peak. He later expanded to magazines, creating the largest newspaper and magazine business in the world. Hearst controlled the editorial positions and coverage of political news in all his papers and magazines, and thereby often published his personal views.
The Controversy Behind the Acquisition
There was a lot of controversy surrounding the initial acquisition of Los Angeles Express, which ostensibly sold to Paul Block in February 1931 by Guy C. Earl and Edward A. Dickson. The argument and speculation were that Paul Block was acting as an agent for William Randolph Hearst. After the formal passing of ownership, there were indications that the real director of the future destinies of the newspaper was Hearst. Paul Block was a close business associate of Hearst, and both have history regarding newspaper purchases under the same circumstances through which the Los Angeles Express was acquired. The purchase of newspaper through an agent, whose figure in the public eye as owner-publisher, is a common practice for Hearst. For several years, his ownership of the Los Angeles Evening Herald was flatly denied by Hearst. When Mr. Block was announced as the purchaser of the Milwaukee Sentinel, it was commonly understood that Mr. Block was merely acting as Hearst’s Agent in the matter. At the time of purchase, Hearst openly owned Wisconsin News, a Milwaukee evening paper. The two ostensibly operated differently for a while until it became somewhat cumbrous, and a little later, both were merged. In the same vein, Los Angeles Express announced that under the dummy ownership, the paper was losing ground and that merger is a measure of economy, thus the acquisition of the Express by Los Angeles Herald.
Modern-day LA Express
As a tribute to the historical newspaper, an online news platform was built, covering news from the Los Angeles area. Thelosangelesexpress.com is here to share the latest news and breaking stories.