Nima Shiralizadeh - Media Studies
The War of the Worlds - Media Studies: Radio CSP
Context
● The War of the World’s was an adaptation of H.G Wells sci-
novel
● Broadcasted in 1938 by an ambitious and reputable auteur,
Orson Welles
● The narrative described a Martian invasion of earth (US) as
an alleged form of ‘entertainment’
● Albeit, it caused mass hysteria and provoked widespread
national panic due to the variety of global events occurring
during that period - it was ‘oppositionally’ read
● Radio was a relatively recent invention - invented by
Gugliemo Marconi during the 1890s
● Therefore, it was inevitably perceived as a fascinating piece of technology for
many audiences - eliminating the ideas/concepts of their being hoaxes/fake news
● Audiences during this period were passive, thus they conformed to a variety of
‘effects’ models and theories (Hypodermic Syringe, Cultivation, Two-Step Flow)
● The broadcast was aired by CBS (Columbia Broadcasting System) - 1 of 2
TRUSTED national broadcasts by millions of audiences as they delivered reliable
and impartial news
Historical Context
● 1938 marked a year before World War II
● There were global tensions between the West (US-UK-France)
as Hitler was hell-bent on his invasion of Europe
● Throughout this period/in the weeks leading up to the infamous broadcast, American
radio stations were frequently cutting into scheduled radio programmes to notify
audiences about recent updates and global tensions
● These events were establishing the bedrocks for the impact the broadcast was
going to have on the nation
● Orson Welles utilised this radio code/convention to his advantage as it called for a
greater and more authentic impact for audiences. In essence, he can catch them off-
guard
● In addition, a year before the War of the Worlds was broadcast (1937), the
Hindenburg Disaster occurred in New Jersey, United States. This substantiates
the plausibility of an event like a Martian invasion as audience's perception of
reality were becoming cultivated
Genre
● The 1938 War of the World’s broadcast incorporated a hybrid mixture of
science ction tropes, coupled with radio broadcast conventions to
create an entertaining narrative
The War of the Worlds - Media Studies: Radio CSP
Context
● The War of the World’s was an adaptation of H.G Wells sci-
novel
● Broadcasted in 1938 by an ambitious and reputable auteur,
Orson Welles
● The narrative described a Martian invasion of earth (US) as
an alleged form of ‘entertainment’
● Albeit, it caused mass hysteria and provoked widespread
national panic due to the variety of global events occurring
during that period - it was ‘oppositionally’ read
● Radio was a relatively recent invention - invented by
Gugliemo Marconi during the 1890s
● Therefore, it was inevitably perceived as a fascinating piece of technology for
many audiences - eliminating the ideas/concepts of their being hoaxes/fake news
● Audiences during this period were passive, thus they conformed to a variety of
‘effects’ models and theories (Hypodermic Syringe, Cultivation, Two-Step Flow)
● The broadcast was aired by CBS (Columbia Broadcasting System) - 1 of 2
TRUSTED national broadcasts by millions of audiences as they delivered reliable
and impartial news
Historical Context
● 1938 marked a year before World War II
● There were global tensions between the West (US-UK-France)
as Hitler was hell-bent on his invasion of Europe
● Throughout this period/in the weeks leading up to the infamous broadcast, American
radio stations were frequently cutting into scheduled radio programmes to notify
audiences about recent updates and global tensions
● These events were establishing the bedrocks for the impact the broadcast was
going to have on the nation
● Orson Welles utilised this radio code/convention to his advantage as it called for a
greater and more authentic impact for audiences. In essence, he can catch them off-
guard
● In addition, a year before the War of the Worlds was broadcast (1937), the
Hindenburg Disaster occurred in New Jersey, United States. This substantiates
the plausibility of an event like a Martian invasion as audience's perception of
reality were becoming cultivated
Genre
● The 1938 War of the World’s broadcast incorporated a hybrid mixture of
science ction tropes, coupled with radio broadcast conventions to
create an entertaining narrative
