19th Century in Journalism was an era of publications of private lives and Charles Kane certainly fits within these times. Kane was not focused on making money but gaining popularity. Charles Foster Kane was one of the greatest newspaper editors of his times in US. Even though he was accused of being fascist and communist (“I have always been an American”) his newspaper did not loose on popularity, partly probably because his father covered expenses on his wavy start of the career. Kane allowed himself to make up his own rules in running a newspaper and always reminded his reports of importance of honesty and accuracy in news reporting.
Charles’s personal life did not prove equally his engagement into profession that took over most of his life. He has devoted himself fully to his newspaper but did that make him happy? It can make us question, how should we judge happiness... well, Kane was certainly fulfilling himself in his choice of profession but should he have had his whole life taken over by it. Should we call it insane or perfect love for journalism. How much of his suppressed sub-conscious unhappy childhood reflected in his career and lack of success in personal life.
Studying reasons for his popularity, I wonder how many people actually notice that perhaps his life was an effect of unhappy and cold childhood and not knowing how to create his own happy family he had to try to find a way to fill that gap with dedicating himself fully to profession he happened to choose.
He went through broken relationships, affairs and his last relationship seemed to have eventually lead his life to death. While he tried to compensate emptiness in his lack of ability to have a mature and happy relationship with uncounted collection of statues his partner was becoming more and more unhappy having a life filled with loneliness and meaningless money. That seemed like loosing a last real piece in Kane’s stone heart.
When dying his last words were the name of his sledge from childhood which he used to play on in the winter, called Rosebud.
It was the first and his last call for last happy memory he could remember, through which his real suppressed childhood memories came out.
In 1941 hundreds of people took part in the biggest funeral of all times. Even though he is seen as one of the most successful editor and journalist, ironically, his personal life was filled with stone monuments and funeral attracted significant number of people. Is that a success?
Winchester University Journalism Course
History and Context of Journalism Part III , lecture week 5
and movie Citizen Kane screening week 6
