Member-only story

How Radio Broadcast And The War Of The Worlds Sparked The 1938 Invasion Of

Alex Reed

·8.1k Followers· Follow

Published in Spooked : How A Radio Broadcast And The War Of The Worlds Sparked The 1938 Invasion Of America

5 min read · 4 weeks before

937 View Claps

79 Respond

Save

Listen

On October 30, 1938, Orson Welles' radio broadcast of The War of the Worlds caused widespread panic and hysteria. The broadcast, which was a dramatization of H.G. Wells' novel of the same name, told the story of an alien invasion of Earth. Many listeners believed that the broadcast was real, and they fled their homes in terror. The broadcast also caused a number of deaths.

Spooked!: How a Radio Broadcast and The War of the Worlds Sparked the 1938 Invasion of America

by Gail Jarrow

4.5 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	14601 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	202 pages

The broadcast began at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the CBS radio network. Welles used a realistic news format to report on the invasion, and he included eyewitness accounts from people who claimed to have seen the aliens. The broadcast was so convincing that many listeners believed that it was real.

Within minutes of the broadcast's start, people began calling radio stations and newspapers to report that they were seeing aliens. Some people even reported that they had been attacked by the aliens. The panic spread quickly, and soon people were fleeing their homes in terror.

The broadcast caused a number of deaths. One woman in New Jersey died of a heart attack after hearing the broadcast. Another woman in Ohio was killed when she drove her car off the road in an attempt to escape the aliens. In total, it is estimated that the broadcast caused at least six deaths.

The panic caused by the broadcast eventually subsided, but it had a lasting impact on American society. The broadcast showed how easily people can be misled by mass media, and it led to a number of changes in the way that news is reported.

The War of the Worlds broadcast is still considered to be one of the most famous and influential radio broadcasts of all time. It is a reminder of the power of mass media, and it is a cautionary tale about the dangers of believing everything that you hear on the radio.

The Legacy of The War of the Worlds Broadcast

The War of the Worlds broadcast had a lasting impact on American society. The broadcast showed how easily people can be misled by mass media, and it led to a number of changes in the way that news is reported.

One of the most important changes was the adoption of the Fairness Doctrine by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The Fairness Doctrine required broadcasters to present both sides of controversial issues. This was done to prevent broadcasters from using their power to promote their own agendas.

The Fairness Doctrine was eventually repealed in 1987, but it had a significant impact on the way that news was reported for many years. It helped to ensure that listeners were getting a balanced view of the news, and it prevented broadcasters from using their power to promote their own agendas.

Another important change that came about as a result of the War of the Worlds broadcast was the creation of the Emergency Alert System (EAS). The EAS is a system that is used to alert the public to emergencies. It is used to broadcast warnings about natural disasters, terrorist attacks, and other threats.

The EAS was created in response to the panic caused by the War of the Worlds broadcast. It was designed to provide the public with accurate and timely information during emergencies. The EAS has been used to warn the public about a number of major emergencies, including the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the Hurricane Katrina disaster.

The War of the Worlds broadcast also had a significant impact on the way that science fiction is written and produced. The broadcast showed that science fiction could be used to tell realistic and believable stories. This led to a number of new science fiction works being produced, and it helped to popularize the genre.

Spooked!: How a Radio Broadcast and The War of the Worlds Sparked the 1938 Invasion of America

by Gail Jarrow

4.5 out of 5