William Thomas Stead was an English newspaper editor. He is regarded as the originator of investigative journalism. His ‘New journalism’ encouraged the 20th century’s emergence of tabloid journalism. Through the newspaper “Northern Echo,” he harshly condemned Prime Minister Disraeli for his inaction concerning Turkey’s role in the massacre of 12,000 Bulgarian Christians. He felt that newspapers should be entertaining as well as educational. During his tenure as editor of the “Pall Mall Gazette,” he implemented various improvements, including the use of short paragraphs, maps, and drawings in news items, the application of banner headlines, and the inclusion of personal opinions in interviews with prominent people. According to him, newspapers are a forum for promoting social justice, equality, and liberalism. In one of his articles, he revealed the subject of child prostitution, which caused widespread outrage in the country. He was a passionate advocate for the rights of women. He was instrumental in the creation of the Law and Liberty League by women’s rights campaigner Annie Besant. Through his newspaper, he advocated for causes such as old-age pensions. He utilized his articles to demonstrate his great support for the Salvation Army’s charitable efforts. As a passenger aboard the RMS Titanic, he perished when the ship sank.
Youth and Early Life
William Thomas Stead was born in Embleton, Northumberland, to Rev William Stead, a Congregational minister, and Isabella. His family moved to Howdon on the River Tyne around 1850.
His early schooling was provided by his father at home. He learned Latin and English as a young child. He attended Silcoates School near Wakefield in 1861. After graduating from this institution in 1863, he began his apprenticeship at a Newcastle-upon-Tyne merchant’s business on Quayside.
William Stead’s Career
In February 1870, he began contributing pieces to the publication “Northern Echo.” The next year, he was appointed editor of this newspaper, a position he held until 1880.
In September 1880, he relocated to London and began working as an assistant editor for the “Pall Mall Gazette” under John Morley. After Morley’s election to the Parliament, Stead assumed the role of editor for that newspaper.
As editor of the “Pall Mall Gazette,” he offered a number of novel improvements to this publication. Stead was the one who first suggested using banner headings and shorter paragraphs in publications.
His use of graphics, graphs, and maps enhanced the appeal of the publication. As part of his novel concept, he would publish interviews with various well-known individuals while expressing his own opinion.
During this time period, “Pall Mall Gazette” became a significant advocate for a variety of political and social agendas. In 1883, in “The Bitter Cry of The Outcast London,” he presented a detailed description of the lifestyle of London’s slum dwellers.
Consequently, a new housing law was drafted. This proposal claimed that the government should construct affordable housing for slum dwellers.
In 1885, the government was compelled to offer the required financial aid to strengthen the nation’s naval defenses after reading the article titled “The Truth about the Navy”
In the same year, his controversial article titled “The Maiden Tribute to Modern Babylon” detailed horrible crimes such as child prostitution. His articles on this exciting topic revealed a stunning government secret.
This demonstrated that although the government was aware of the situation, it did not take action against child prostitution in order to protect the wealthy clients of this activity.
The immediate impact of this provision was to raise the age of consent for females to sixteen years old by reviving the Criminal Law Amendment Act. In 1888, he participated actively in the London Matchgirls Strike.
His harsh criticism of the British Army for its role in the Bloody Sunday incident caused a rift with members of the Liberal Party. His paper effectively saved the life of Florence Maybrick, who was accused of murdering her husband. After quitting “Pall Mall Gazette” in 1890, he began publishing the international magazine “Review of Review.”
Due to his interest in spiritualism, he edited the spirituality journal Borderland from 1893 to 1897. After meeting with the Tsar of Russia in 1898, he founded and edited a weekly newspaper titled “War Against War.” During this time, he vigorously advocated for the “Peace Crusade.”
He attended the Chicago World’s Fair, where he researched the city’s underbelly and published his findings as “If Christ Came To Chicago: A Plea For The Union Of All Who Love In The Service Of All Who Suffer.”
Personal History and Legacy
On June 10, 1873, he married his childhood friend Emma Lucy Wilson. They have two daughters and four sons. In 1912, he was invited to speak at the Carnegie Hall international conference on world peace.
He complied with the request and boarded the Titanic. According to the ship’s survivors, as the ship impacted the iceberg, Stead assisted numerous passengers into lifeboats and offered his life jacket to another passenger.
It is reported that he made no effort to save himself and was last seen standing on the ship’s deck. His remains were never recovered.
Estimated Net Worth
William is one of the wealthiest and most popular journalists in the world. According to our investigation of Wikipedia, Forbes, and Business Insider, William Thomas Stead has an estimated net worth of $1.5 million.
Trivia
This renowned newspaper publisher orchestrated the purchase of Eliza Armstrong in order to expose child prostitution in England. As a result, he was incarcerated for three months on civil indictment charges.