War of the Worlds: Blog tasks

 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?

The history and narrative behind War of the Worlds is that it is an adaptation of H.G Well's novel of the same name. This is the idea that aliens from another planet, mars invades the world and ensures conflict between mankind.

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

It was first broadcast on the 30th of October 1938. The popular myth regarding the reation from the audience has it that thousands of New Yorkers fled their homes 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 produced newspapers across the country the next day that revelled the mass hysteria it had caused. New York Times used the headline "Radio Listeners in Panic, Taking War Drama as Fact."

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

Author Schwartz described the broadcast and its reaction by suggesting that the mass hysteria that it had caused wasn't an actual myth. He argues that those audiences who were frightened with the concept that Welles produced emphasises how audiences and users engage with what they encounter in the media. This also shows how those who engage with media content could misinterpret information, depending on their world views.

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

Welles used hybrid genres and pastiche to create and exciting radio through the idea of borrowing conventions from the radio newscast. This has led to creating real moment of shock and awe from their listeners. In addition, Welles use of hybrid genres had led to the blurring between reality and fiction in a way that audiences have never experienced. 

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

The world events in 1938 affects the way audiences interpreted the show by interpreting the media text as real. 

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

The company that broadcasted War of the Worlds in 1938 was CBS.

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

The newspaper industry have deliberately exaggerated the response to the broadcast because it led to audiences believing the text as real and so leading to a mass hysteria. This is where poeple's response had increased, leading to the papers gaining opportunities from the Welles's programme. This could perhaps led to discreditting radio as a source of news, where newspapers used this as an advantage to gain peole's trust and so would gain more profit. 

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

War of the World provide evidence to support the Frankfurt School's Hypodermic Needle Theory because it shows how different texts that are being introduced to people are interpreted and consumed by society as real and so would lead to them believing it. In addition, the idea that they trust industries and some opinion leaders to give them the information that they need and would perhaps more likely to believe the given information by them.

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

Gerbner’s cultivation theory can be applied to the broadcast because it shows and reinforces how the media influences how the audience thinks and responses. The broadcast further applies to this theory because it shows how the audiences believed that there’s aliens invading the earth. 

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

Preferred reading - the preferred reading could be that listeners wouldn’t believe the whole story of Welles as at the start of the broadcast he already warned the listeners that all of the narrative was made up. 

Oppositional reading - the oppositional reading could be that the listeners would believe the narrative that was being portrayed as they may not have heard the warning and so would lead to 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?

I think that the media products can still retain the ability to fool audiences just like War of the Worlds because a lot of people already use the internet and social media, linking to the idea of bandwagon. Also, audiences would believe the information given to them by opinion leaders from the media because they think that these opinion leaders are experts and professionals. The digital media landscape hasn’t really changed it because there’s more development in technology such as AI that would seem realistic for other people. 

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?

The reasons that are provided for why the audience may have been scared by the broadcast is because they used realistic radio conventions such as flash news bulletins, experts interviews and vox props and set it in contemporary New Jersey.

2) How did newspapers present the story? 

The newspapers present the story by using emotive language for them to be able to gain attractiveness from their readers such as ‘Heart Attacks’ and ‘Attempted Suicide:’.

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

The article describe the rise of radio as an increasing popularity, where many main media industries at that time feared that radio would kill them off. This is because the radio brought news and music in a more accessible way, allowing their audiences to listen from their homes rather than going out their way to buy a newspaper.

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

Another industrial context was that of regulation of the radio. As a relatively new media form, there was

still widespread scepticism about radio’s benefits and a lot of concern about its potential downsides. Just

like the introduction of newer media today, older generations feared the corruption of the young by uncensored, unregulated radio content.

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

The article apply media theories to the WOTW by using Bandura’s study and how children who watched adults beat up a Bobo Doll imitated the adult’s actions towards it. This links to WOTW as it shows how the media can directly affect us. Another theory is Gerbner’s cultivation theory where it suggests that the media can influence an audience’s behaviour which was shown in WOTW where there were certain responses towards the media with some people being entertained by it, whereas other people panicked and believed what the narrative was in the radio. This further links to Hall’s reception theory and how different audiences have different understanding and perspective on things which would give reason as to how audiences respond to it.

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 Fake Scares Nation’

‘Radio Terror Brings Panic in All Areas; People Lose All Control’