W. T. Stead

W. T. Stead
Photo portrait by E. H. Mills, 1905
Born
William Thomas Stead

(1849-07-05)5 July 1849
Embleton, Northumberland, England
Died15 April 1912(1912-04-15) (aged 62)
North Atlantic Ocean
Monuments
  • New York City: 91st St and Central Park East
  • London: Victoria Embankment near to Fleet Street
  • Outside Darlington Library, Crown Street, Darlington, County Durham, DL1 1ND, Great Britain
EducationSilcoates School
OccupationNewspaper editor
Notable workThe Maiden Tribute of Modern Babylon
StyleSensationalism

William Thomas Stead (5 July 1849 – 15 April 1912) was an English newspaper editor who, as a pioneer of investigative journalism, became a controversial figure of the Victorian era.[1] Stead published a series of hugely influential campaigns whilst editor of The Pall Mall Gazette, including his 1885 series of articles, The Maiden Tribute of Modern Babylon. These were written in support of a bill, later dubbed the "Stead Act", that raised the age of consent from 13 to 16.[2]

Stead's "new journalism" paved the way for the modern tabloid in Great Britain.[2] He has been described as "the most famous journalist in the British Empire".[3] He is considered to have influenced how the press could be used to influence public opinion and government policy, and advocated "Government by Journalism".[4] He was known for his reportage on child welfare, social legislation and reformation of England's criminal codes.

Stead died in the sinking of the RMS Titanic.[2]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference attackingthedevil_c was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b c "Press Office Home – The British Library". British Library Press Office. 10 April 2012. Archived from the original on 9 May 2021. Retrieved 6 September 2019.
  3. ^ Bell, Duncan (2020). Dreamworlds of Race: Empire and the Utopian Destiny of Anglo-America. Princeton University Press. p. 4. doi:10.2307/j.ctv12sdwnm. ISBN 978-0-691-19401-1. JSTOR j.ctv12sdwnm.
  4. ^ Joseph O. Baylen, "Stead, William Thomas (1849–1912)", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online ed., September 2010. Retrieved 3 May 2011.