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The Effects Of Media On Society 's Interpretation Of The World 's Radio Drama

Decent Essays

LITERATURE REVIEW

Mass media programs have influenced civilizations for decades. Radio, television, and social media all play apart in shaping society’s interpretation of the world around them, as well transmitting information that becomes a shared world view among large groups of people. Throughout the years, much research has been completed over how media affects society, and public opinion of the media and its effects has changed drastically over the years. One specific event that many people point at when discussing the power of media is Orson Welles’ infamous War of the World’s radio drama, which broadcasted the night before Halloween in 1938. It’s purported that the radio drama was so realistic and powerful that it led the public into a state of mass panic -- causing frenzied police calls, mass exodus, and suicide attempts before Orson Welles reassured his listeners that it was just a bit of Halloween fun.
Much of the controversy that surrounds Welles’ program stems from the large amount of press it received after the event, as citizens shared their personal accounts of the harrowing night with journalists and local newspaper corporation. The morning after the broadcast, the New York Times was filled with the astounding tales shared by New Jersey and New York citizens illustrating the chaos that happened that night; police calls, tied phone lines, abandoned homes, pleas for help, and mass exodus were all just a portion of the chaos that supposedly occurred as Welles’

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