CLEVELAND WORLD - The Encyclopedia of Cleveland HistoryThe CLEVELAND WORLD was the local version of the "yellow journalism" of the 1890s. An outgrowth of the Sunday World, it first appeared as an afternoon daily in the summer of 1889. Throughout its 16-year existence, it was published on Ontario St. near St. Clair and sold for $.01. Shortly after its birth as a daily, the World became the property of B. F. Bower of Detroit and Cleveland newspaperman GEO. A. ROBERTSON†. In Apr. 1895, Bower and Robertson sold the World to Robt. P. Porter, former director of the U.S. Census. Under Porter, the World became outspokenly Republican, but following the 1896 presidential canvass the World went into receivership and again came under the control of Bower in Nov. 1896. During the growing crisis in Spanish-American relations in 1898, the World closely followed public opinion as it turned against Spain. After the sinking of the Maine, the World's headlines increased in size until they towered over 2 in. and stretched across the front page. Occasionally they indulged in trick styles, such as "WAR DECLARED AGAINST SPAIN," qualified in smaller type by "Unless She Immediately Withdraws Her Army and Navy from Cuba." Circulation jumped from 21,695 in February to 33,892 in May. In the early 1900s, the World added halftones and Sunday color supplements. Advertising dropped, however, and in 1904 Bower sold the World to Cleveland industrialist CHAS. A. OTIS†. On 12 June 1905, Otis purchased the Cleveland News & Herald and consolidated it with the World as the World-News. He added the Evening Plain Dealer to the combination on 16 July, killing the Sunday World as a quid pro quo. On 13 Sept. the World-News became the CLEVELAND NEWS. Last Modified: 14 Jul 1997 03:26:03 PM
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