Los Angeles Examiner

Los Angeles Examiner
Name	Los Angeles Examiner
Type	Daily newspaper
Founder	William Randolph Hearst
Foundation	March 25, 1903
Ceased publication	1962 (merged into Los Angeles Herald-Examiner)
Language	English
Headquarters	Los Angeles, California
Owner	Hearst Corporation

Los Angeles Examiner was a major early 20th‑century daily newspaper in Los Angeles, California, founded as a Hearst newspaper and influential in civic, political, and cultural life. It competed with the Los Angeles Times and shaped coverage of events such as the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, the growth of Hollywood, and civic controversies involving the Los Angeles Police Department and local political machines. The paper played a role in national conversations around figures like William Randolph Hearst, Calvin Coolidge, and Franklin D. Roosevelt while reporting on regional institutions such as University of Southern California and University of California, Los Angeles.

History

The enterprise began with investment by William Randolph Hearst in 1903 amid a competitive market featuring the Los Angeles Times and the Los Angeles Herald. Early coverage emphasized events including the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, the expansion of Southern Pacific Transportation Company lines, and civic projects like the development of the Los Angeles Aqueduct and debates over the LA City Hall and Los Angeles County infrastructure. During the 1910s and 1920s the paper reported on the rise of Hollywood studios such as Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and personalities like Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks. In the 1930s and 1940s the Examiner covered national politics including the administrations of Herbert Hoover, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and postwar developments under Harry S. Truman. Mid‑century coverage included wartime mobilization at Los Angeles Port of Long Beach, the growth of the Douglas Aircraft Company and Lockheed Corporation, and civic reforms tied to figures such as Mayor Fletcher Bowron and investigations by the House Un-American Activities Committee. By the 1960s consolidation among Los Angeles dailies led to mergers culminating in the formation of the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner.

Ownership and Management

Ownership was dominated by the Hearst Corporation and the influence of William Randolph Hearst, who built a chain that included the New York Journal and the San Francisco Examiner. Publisher and executive roles featured managers aligned with Hearst interests and with connections to national media figures like Arthur Brisbane and editorial leaders paralleling counterparts at the Chicago Examiner and San Francisco Examiner. Corporate decisions intersected with legal disputes involving entities such as the International Longshore and Warehouse Union during labor conflicts and with regulatory encounters before bodies resembling the Federal Communications Commission when cross‑media ownership questions arose. Local management worked with civic elites including patrons from institutions like Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and Biltmore Hotel stakeholders.

Editorial Staff and Notable Contributors

The Examiner attracted journalists and columnists who later became prominent in newspapers, radio, and film. Staff included investigative reporters who covered scandals involving city officials and law enforcement, crime reporters chronicling trials at the Los Angeles County Superior Court and celebrity correspondents covering figures such as Charlie Chaplin, Rudolph Valentino, and Greta Garbo. Cartoonists and illustrators worked alongside feature writers producing pieces on the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and coverage of events like the Academy Awards. Contributors with national reputations included writers whose work intersected with syndicates like the King Features Syndicate and commentators who debated policy alongside columnists from papers such as the New York Times and the Chicago Tribune.

Coverage and Impact

The paper shaped public debate on civic reform tied to mayoralties including George E. Cryer and Fletcher Bowron and covered corruption probes that implicated business interests like Pacific Electric and political figures associated with the Ku Klux Klan influence in California politics during the 1920s. Its entertainment coverage chronicled the consolidation of studios including RKO Pictures and the careers of stars such as Bette Davis and Humphrey Bogart. The Examiner’s reporting influenced municipal elections, bond measures for projects like the Los Angeles Aqueduct and transit initiatives tied to Pacific Electric Railway expansion, and litigation involving studios and talent agencies such as Creative Artists Agency predecessors. Its photojournalism documented events from the Zoot Suit Riots to labor strikes at Wilmington shipyards and the development of freeway projects including the Harbor Freeway.

Circulation and Distribution

Circulation reached competitive levels against the Los Angeles Times and regional papers such as the San Diego Union-Tribune and the Oakland Tribune, driven by street sales, home delivery routes across neighborhoods from Downtown Los Angeles to Hollywood and suburban distribution into Orange County and San Bernardino County. Distribution methods evolved with printing plants serving multiple Hearst properties and logistics tied to railroads like the Southern Pacific Railroad and trucking firms operating on corridors such as Route 66. Advertising revenue came from retailers on Broadway (Los Angeles) and national advertisers including department stores like Macy's and automotive manufacturers such as Ford Motor Company stationed at local dealerships.

Archives and Preservation

Collections of the paper are held in institutional archives including the Los Angeles Public Library, the University of Southern California Libraries, the University of California, Los Angeles, Library Special Collections, and the California State Library. Microfilm, bound volumes, and digitized scans exist in repositories that collaborate with projects similar to the California Digital Newspaper Collection and library consortia such as the Online Computer Library Center. Preservation efforts involve partnerships with museums like the Autry Museum of the American West and historical societies including the Los Angeles Conservancy and the Historical Society of Southern California to maintain reporting on civic, cultural, and labor history for scholars studying subjects ranging from film history to urban development along the Los Angeles River.

Category:Defunct newspapers of California Category:Mass media in Los Angeles