The Man and Money Behind the Expedition

Early on November 8, 1974, the New York Herald was abuzz with a story they knew would be a sensation. It was a story that was the brainchild of owner, publisher and editor-in-chief James Gordon Bennett, Jr. At the time the Herald was the most influential newspaper in the world and was known for being entertaining and informative. The paper had spent more than its competitors on its telegraph and transatlantic cable system to ensure that the Herald got the scoop. Bennett hired the best writers in the country including Mark Twain and Walt Whitman.

Bennett’s contribution to modern media was his contention that news organizations should not only report the news they should create drama about it to engage the reader from day to day. In 1870, Bennett had dispatched Henry Stanley to Africa to find David Livingstone which caused an international sensation...