James Gordon Bennett, the New York Herald and the Arctic

• Published in: Polar Record
• Main Author: Riffenburgh, Beau
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 1991
• Subjects: General Earth and Planetary Sciences; Ecology; Geography, Planning and Development; Arctic; Morton; Livingstone; Polar Record
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s003224740001980x; https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S003224740001980X

Abstract James Gordon Bennett Jr (1841–1918), recognized as one of the most important individuals in the development of popular journalism in the United States, was proprietor of the New York Herald , perhaps the most influential American newspaper of his time. The man who sent Henry Morton Stanley to Africa to find David Livingstone, he was also significant in American Arctic exploration during the second half of the 19th century. He played a role in the organization or funding of five Arctic expeditions, including the Jeannette expedition under George W. De Long. Although his interest in exploration was primarily a means to increase the circulation of his newspaper, by his sponsorship Bennett helped contribute to knowledge of the Arctic. More importantly, through extensive coverage in the Herald , he helped create national interest in the Arctic and in polar exploration in general.