Final answer:
Pulitzer's quote suggests that he values newspapers as a fundamental record of events, in that the lack of reporting on an event is tantamount to it not happening. This highlights the significant influence newspapers held in shaping public perception and reality, especially in the era of yellow journalism.
Step-by-step explanation:
Pulitzer's statement reflects the notion that newspapers play a crucial role in shaping public awareness and perception of events. The quote, "Rally till the cows come home. Not a paper in town will publish a word. And if it's not in the papes, it never happened.", indicates that Pulitzer believes in the significance of newspapers as the primary record of events (Option A). In the era of yellow journalism, newspapers such as Joseph Pulitzer's New York World and William Randolph Hearst's New York Journal exerted significant influence by publishing sensational stories to attract readers and increase circulation. The sensationalism and scope of newspaper coverage during this period focused on entertainment, yet they became a principal source of news, shaping public agenda and opinion. The statement suggests that if newspapers chose not to report on a particular event, it would be as though the event never occurred in public consciousness. This highlights the power of print media in socially constructing reality and their role as gatekeepers of information.