Radio: War of the Worlds CSP

 Media Factsheet

Read Media Factsheet #176: CSP Radio - War of the Worlds. You'll need your Greenford Google login to download it. Then answer the following questions:

1) What is the history and narrative behind War of the Worlds?

It's an adaptation of H.G Wells' novel published in 1898. The text has been frequently interpreted as a commentary on British Imperialism and Victorian fear and prejudice. The radio adaptation has become known for the reaction it received and is often highlighted as an early example of mass hysteria caused by the media.

2) When was it first broadcast and what is the popular myth regarding the reaction from the audience?

It was broadcasted live on 30th October 1938 and the popular myth was that thousands of New Yorkers fled their home in panic, and all across America people crowded the streets to witness for themselves the real space battle between Earth and the Martians.

3) How did the New York Times report the reaction the next day?

The New York Times reported the reaction with the headline: "Radio Listeners in Panic, Taking War Drama as Fact".

4) How did author Brad Schwartz describe the the broadcast and its reaction?

Brad Schwartz suggests the hysteria was not entirely a myth. "Instead it was something decades ahead of its time: History's first viral-media phenomenon".

5) Why did Orson Welles use hybrid genres and pastiche and what effect might it have had on the audience?

Welles used news bulletin conventions and pastiche to mimic real newscasts, making the play more convincing and engaging, and making the listeners feel directly involved.

6) How did world events in 1938 affect the way audiences interpreted the show?

Europe had threats from Germany and there were recent events of war so it was understandable that people thought that this alien attack was true.

7) Which company broadcast War of the Worlds in 1938?

8) Why might the newspaper industry have deliberately exaggerated the response to the broadcast?

Newspapers were threatened by radios rising popularity and therefore sensationalised the panic to discredit radio and push for regulation.

9) Does War of the Worlds provide evidence to support the Frankfurt School's Hypodermic Needle theory?

It was initially seen as proof of direct media influence but later research showed that the panic was limited and exaggerated.

10) How might Gerbner's cultivation theory be applied to the broadcast?

Regular exposure to realistic style news bulletins primed listeners to accept this dramatised version as real, demonstrating how media shapes perceptions over time.

11) Applying Hall's Reception Theory, what could be the preferred and oppositional readings of the original broadcast?

preferred reading: Listeners perceive it as a realistic emergency report, taking it seriously.

oppositional reading: others recognise it as fictional, maybe criticise how it mislead or mock the panic.

12) Do media products still retain the ability to fool audiences as it is suggested War of the Worlds did in 1938? Has the digital media landscape changed this?

While digital media provides instant verification, fake news still manages to deceive.

Media Magazine article on War of the Worlds

Read this excellent article on War of the Worlds in Media Magazine. You can find it in our Media Magazine archive - issue 69, page 10. Answer the following questions:

1) What reasons are provided for why the audience may have been scared by the broadcast in 1938? 

There were real emergency broadcast conventions used. There was historical tension around war/gas attacks which made it believable. 

2) How did newspapers present the story? 

Sensational headlines stressed panic and blamed radio, attributing mass hysteria.

3) How does the article describe the rise of radio? 

It overtook newspapers during the 1930s-40s.

4) What does the article say about regulation of radio in the 1930s? 

There was a rise in calls for concerns over deceptive broadcasts.

5) How does the article apply media theories to the WOTW? Give examples.

hypodermic needle theory: believed attack happened straight away

reception theory:

cultivation theory:

6) Look at the box on page 13 of real newspaper headlines. Pick out two and write them here - you could use these in an exam answer.

"radio listeners in panic,taking war drama as fact"

"many flee homes to escape gas raid from mars"

A/A* Extension tasks: Analysis and opinion questions

1) Why do you think the 1938 broadcast of War of the Worlds has become such a significant moment in media history?

2) War of the Worlds feels like a 1938 version of 'fake news'. But which is the greater example of fake news - Orson Welles's use of radio conventions to create realism or the newspapers exaggerating the audience reaction to discredit radio?

3) Do you agree with the Frankfurt School's Hypodermic Needle theory? If not, was there a point in history audiences were more susceptible to believing anything they saw or heard in the media?

4) Has the digital media age made the Hypodermic Needle model more or less relevant? Why?

5) Do you agree with George Gerbner's Cultivation theory - that suggests exposure to the media has a gradual but significant effect on audience's views and beliefs? Give examples to support your argument.

6) Is Gerbner's Cultivation theory more or less valid today than it would have been in 1938? Why?