Gerald Norman Springer was born on February 19, 1944 in England to a pair of Jewish refugee parents who fled Germany and immigrated to the United States while Springer was a child. Springer attended school at Tulane University in New Orleans, LA, earning a bachelor's degree in political science in 1965. He then attended Northwestern University Law School in Chicago, IL, where he earned a juris doctorate. After graduation, Springer was employed as an assistant to Robert F. Kennedy. When Kennedy was assassinated, Springer became a member of a Cincinnati law firm and was elected counsel in the 1970s. A subsequent scandal erupted, accusing Springer of being a client of a prostitute, to whom he paid a check, leading to his capture. This illegal action forced him to resign from his position in 1974. He later cleaned up his act and was re-elected and served as the city's mayor. Later, in the 1980s, he took a turn in his career and began practicing journalism. Springer quickly became a popular journalist and radio voice. Shortly thereafter, he created and hosted a television show that would drastically change and influence the media. The Jerry Springer Show was first hosted in 1991 by Springer. It started as a politically oriented news talk show that talked about current topics in society, such as healthcare and gun control. The show was similar to many other television programs and lacked variety and courage. The show was competing with other daytime programs and received low ratings, prompting them to take a new direction to attract interest and capture further attention from new viewers. The show became more provocative and rebuilt itself on a foundation that provided its audience... middle of paper......ger Show achieved its goal of increasing its ratings by conforming to the fast pace and rapid changes of society we live in.Works CitedDickson, Mary. "Trash TV? Jerry Springer and Howard Stern light up the ratings and the networks rake in the dough." Salt Lake City Weekly, May 29, 1998. Print."Jerry Springer Biography." TV guide, TV schedules, online videos, entertainment news and celebrity news | TVGuide.com. Network. 07 November 2010. .Kitman, Marvin. "Jerry Springer, a scary diversion - CNN." Featured Articles from CNN. CNN, June 29, 1998. Web. November 5, 2010. .Moore, Frazier. "Shame on you, Jerry, for `The Jerry Springer Show'" Buffalo News March 26, 1998. Print.