War of the Worlds: Orson Welles' Radio Broadcast

Orson Welle's radio broadcast of "The War of the Worlds" on October 30th, 1938, was one of the most significant broadcasts in the history of commercial radio. The Broadcast began with a brief statement about the broadcast being a fictional story, but then proceeded right into the storyline; consequently, many listeners who began listening in media res, or as the story was ongoing, did not know that the broadcast was fictional. Furthermore, most listeners did not tune-in long enough to hear the addition disclaimers that were dispersed through out the program, which caused a massive panic across the United States. The power of the radio medium during that time period was unquestioned, as listeners were accustomed to believing everything that was broadcasted; essentially, the absence of the television as a communication medium left radio as one of the only options Americans had of receiving breaking information or news. In addition to the context of the time period contributing to the general realism of the broadcast, official sounding names of weather advisories like the Government Weather Bureau filled the fictional broadcast, adding to the broadcast-induced chaos; furthermore, the broadcast's script also added to the authenticity of the program because it led people to believe that there were announcers, orchestras, newscasters, and scientists on the air from a variety of locations, rather than simply being conducted in the studio of the radio station. The panic that the broadcast created caused reactions in listeners across the United States, such as people fleeing their homes, constructing home-made gas masks, and thousands of people calling radio stations, Police stations, and newspapers hysterically anticipating the conformation of an alien invasion. After the public received the news that the broadcast was fictional, the American people were outraged that a radio station would try to trick them, and many people attempted to sue Orson Wells for taking advantage of their trust in the authenticity of the radio medium. Ultimately, Orson Welle's radio broadcast had an enormous affect on the relationship between communication mediums and the consumer; essentially, it forced many Americans to reconsider their instantaneous belief of any information obtained via a mass communication medium.



Resources:

1) Orson Welle's Radio Broadcast of "The War of the Worlds".

2) About.com - Orson Welle's Radio Broadcast of "The War of the Worlds".