-Poorer audio quality, longer more elaborate vocabulary to explain facts, maybe hinting towards the downfall of English language and understanding in correlation to the rise of technology.

-In relation to media industries, radio at this time was directly in competition to newspapers- therefore signifying the beginning of the public sphere diminishing throughout society (Habermas). This is due to major broadcasts being regulated to all over the worlds taking over the newspapers displaying everybody’s viewpoint,

-Power of media; if society turned there back to media broadcasts and products how much knowledge would we hold about modern day situations from around the world- ultimately holding media in a high power giving the question “can we trust it?”. We can correlate this to the fact that the media we consume can manipulate stories with their power and with the rise of fake news we have to consume it to have some understanding with the realisation it may not be trustworthy.

-Representation: through the use of codes and conventions and cross media techniques (conversations and music playing) they present this sci-fi broadcast as something that can seem real, steave neals theory of genre can be used to analyse how war of the news became so successful- with the new age of technology they provide entertainment with a repertoire of unique and different codes and conventions.

Specific signifiers of social class can be linked with Wyndhem-Goldies quote “transforming time and space”, suggesting radio opens a new world of knowledge to the public, such as agriculture and language- therefore maybe considering that radio was a help for the poorer uneducated people to gain knowledge about the world.

-In referral to audiences, you can argue that radio opened up a world of education to different genders, backgrounds and classes. For example the fight of feminism would still be apparent during this time, and via stereotypical/reactionary gender roles women would stay at home and be less educated by the men who were the workers. The women who stayed at home could listen in to the radio and gain more knowledge maybe creating fear over the patriarchal society as it was a gateway for change.

-Radio being a place for education as this was in the “golden age”, one could suggest that this broadcast was the earliest ideal of fake news as lesser educated people would listen in and maybe not understand the idea of satiricalism, or sci-fi fiction.

-With the cultivation theory via gerbner, specifically focussing on the mean world index, radio would be broadcasting about the hardships that the world was heavily going through during this time, audiences therefore perceiving the world as bad. In combination with the sci fi talking about fictional wars- the potential of misinformation drastically increases as it would be predictable for more bad things to manifest throughout society.

-Owned by columbia broadcatsing company that still exists to this day

– the broadcasts progressed through the story of an alien invasion on mars, and ends with “is anyone on air” continued with no response, this elaborate story telling in addition to cultivation theory can shock specific viewers as while radio opened a whole new world, some of the uneducated could be in belief of this sci fi, no one was harmed through this broadcasts, but it is one of the earlier manifestations of fake news.

-Halls reception theory can show the different ways the broadcast can be encoded, in combination with lasswells hyperdemic model that later was adapted by shannon and weaver, we can analyse the fact there were many different ways people could encode the message, or providing error and disruption.

-There’s a suggestion of many panic and pandemonium caused upon the public from the broadcast however can we really trust this? How do we know it wasn’t a production issue to entice more people to use radio? A publicity stunt? Link back to trust topic.

-Hall reception theory

-The main topic about this scp is the idea on what media is truthful and what is not, the emergence of the public fear from the broadcasts displayed on sights today such as Wikipedia suggest the public was heavily influenced and fearful, yet the documentary produced by radiolab about war of the worlds mention that 98% of surveyed audience weren’t listening to the broadcast and the 2% that did said they understood it wasn’t a news broadcast, the fear was mainly influenced via the newspaper suggesting mass pandemonium. through the decade newspaper and radio were in direct competition with each other and there was a fear of emerging technology- the newspaper producing this negative reaction yet not backed up with evidence could be newspaper trying to emerge above radio? Was this the early development of fake news? and if it is still used in sights today explaining the fear then are we active consumers at all? We have no 100% proof of either side being completely reliable or valid which also correlates with the amount of power media has and the trust that passive consumers would have in it, think Laswell’s hypodermic model of passive consumption.

Expanding on this produces two questions; was the development of new technology good or bad? Habermas talks about the public sphere which was clearly diminished throughout the development of new technology ultimately resulting in audiences becoming increasingly passive- which supports this being bad. Yet also it transformed the world and provided education into all backgrounds, leading to movements to achieve equality today- expanding our intelligence and viewpoint, our communication through everywhere in the world- Which would suggest it was a good thing.

George Welles the producer of the broadcast performed a public apology, there are claims say people were threatening to shoot him, and burning down news stations. He seemed threatened yet is this reliable.

Background:

The episode begins with an introductory monologue based closely on the opening of the original novel, after which the program takes on the format of an evening of typical radio programming being periodically interrupted by news bulletins. It was a Halloween episode.

The first portion of the episode climaxes with another live report from the rooftop of a Manhattan radio station. The correspondent describes crowds fleeing clouds of poison smoke released by giant Martian “war machines” and “dropping like flies” as the gas approaches his location. Eventually he coughs and falls silent, and a lone ham radio operator asks, “Is there anyone on the air? Isn’t there… anyone?” with no response. The program takes its first break thirty minutes after Welles’s introduction. The second portion of the show shifts to a conventional radio drama format that follows a survivor (played by Welles) dealing with the aftermath of the invasion and the ongoing Martian occupation of Earth. The final segment lasts for about sixteen minutes, and like the original novel, concludes with the revelation that the Martians have been defeated by microbes rather than by humans. The broadcast ends with a brief “out of character” announcement by Welles in which he compares the show to “dressing up in a sheet and jumping out of a bush and saying ‘boo!'”

Introduction:

Orson Welles’ adaption of “The War of the Worlds” provides a terrific introduction to the debate surrounding the media’s ability to influence the audience and shape our behaviour and beliefs. Performed live in 1938, the radio drama depicted a Martian invasion of earth, but the broadcast allegedly provoked widespread panic because many listeners thought the attack was real.

Facts:

“The War of the Worlds” mixes science fiction tropes with the conventions of radio broadcasts to create a very entertaining narrative. Combining these two elements into a hybrid radio form was a great innovation, but it may have duped some listeners into believing the news bulletins and reports were a true account of the Martian conquest.

Although the story of interplanetary warfare is typical of the science fiction genre, it was presented within the format of normal evening of radio programming. There appears to be a routine report from the “Government Weather Bureau” about a “slight atmospheric disturbance” along the east coast of America. We are then “entertained by the music of Ramón Raquello and his orchestra” who are playing a tango from the Park Plaza Hotel. Even the “special bulletin from the Intercontinental Radio News”, which interrupts the music, met the expectations of the contemporary audience.

Since radio was a relatively new form of mass communication, it could also be argued that many listeners lacked the media literacy needed to understand “The War of the Worlds” was a pastiche of its codes and conventions. Although Welles argued his format “was not even new” and it might seem like an obvious trick to a modern audience, many of the listeners may not have realised the drama was just entertainment.

Historical Context

At the time the novel was written (1898) the British Empire was by far the most dominant colonial power on earth. So vast was the British Empire that at the end of the 19^th century the sun literally never set on it. London was (as it still is) the political capital of the United Kingdom and was the most populous city on earth throughout the last half of the 19^th century, becoming the first city to have more than 5 million inhabitants by the 1880’s.  It is therefore natural that London was chosen as the starting point for an imagined alien invasion. The power of the crown was diminishing as voter rolls increased and centralized parties strengthened. Legislation protecting workers reflected growing progressive views, and technological advances made travel and communication easier and more widespread than ever before. In a show of British achievement and industrial and scientific superiority, the Great Exhibition of 1851 showcased the technological advances of the day including the microscope, barometer, electric telegraphs, early forms of photography, and surgical instruments.

Hybrid Genre

Orson Welles was initially reluctant to adapt War of the Worlds, describing it as ‘boring’. He was persuaded by the prospect of using recent developments in radio news reporting to create a hybrid-form radio play designed to sound like a real breaking news story. The broadcast begins with a music performance that is increasingly interrupted by breaking news of Martians invading New Jersey.

Audiences

Cultivation theory – the media creates a ‘mean scary world’, audiences would already be afraid/aware of communism etc, many assumed the broadcast was a German invasion. The cultivation theory can also explain some of the hysteria. Gerbner’s research suggested heavy users of television become more susceptible / exposed to its messages, especially if the texts resonate with the viewer. One army veteran said the radio play “was too realistic for comfort” while another New York resident was “convinced it was the McCoy” when the “names and titles” of different officials, such as the Secretary of the Interior, were mentioned in the script. Perhaps it was this group of listeners who believed the broadcast was an accurate report of events that night because they were already familiar with the special bulletin format, which were known then as break-ins, and assumed the war in Europe had intensified.

Even the two-step flow model of communication provides some insight into how the panic unfolded. For instance, a “throng of playgoers had rushed” from a “theatre” because “news” of the invasion had “spread” to the audience. The New York Times also reported how the “rumour” of war “spread through the district and many persons stood on street corners hoping for a sight of the ‘battle’ in the skies”. Therefore, not everyone who was terrorised by the radio play was actually listening to the broadcast. They heard the rumours from people they trusted in their social circle.

By incorporating these basic radio codes into the start of the script, it is clear the writers were trying to make the story sound plausible. According to Baudrillard’s simulation theory, this would be the first stage which is a “reflection of reality”.

Possible questions:

1. Explain how Orson Welles’ War of the Worlds broadcast used the codes and conventions of radio to convince the audience Martians were invading New York.
2. How do the cultural and historical circumstances affect the audience’s interpretation of media texts? Refer to the Close Study Product War of the Worlds in your answer.
3. Discuss how and why audiences might respond to and interpret media texts differently depending on the social context they are consumed. Refer to the Close Study Product War of the Worlds in your answer.
4. “There is no doubt the media has a profound influence on the audience’s thoughts and behaviour.” To what extent does your analysis of the Close Study Product War of the Worlds support this view?

• The episode is famous for inciting a panic by convincing some members of the listening audience that a Martian invasion was taking place, though the scale of panic is disputed, as the program had relatively few listeners.
• “The War of the Worlds” was the 17th episode of the CBS Radio series The Mercury Theatre on the Air, which was broadcast at 8 pm ET on October 30, 1938
• The program’s format is a simulated live newscast of developing events. The first two-thirds of the hour-long play is a contemporary retelling of events of the novel, presented as news bulletins interrupting programs of dance music.
• “I had conceived the idea of doing a radio broadcast in such a manner that a crisis would actually seem to be happening,” said Welles, “and would be broadcast in such a dramatized form as to appear to be a real event taking place at that time, rather than a mere radio play.
• The radio program begins as a simulation of a normal evening radio broadcast featuring a weather report and music by “Ramon Raquello and His Orchestra” live from a local hotel ballroom
• Radio silence at 30:47

War of the Worlds can be considered in a historical context as it provides an interesting study of the power and influence of radio as a form during its early days of broadcasting. It is also useful to consider the product in a social, cultural and political context when considering audience responses to the programme. It was first broadcast on the eve of World War II and reflected fears of invasion in the US and concerns about international relations.

• The episode is famous for inciting a panic by convincing some members of the listening audience that a Martian invasion was taking place, though the scale of panic is disputed, as the program had relatively few listeners.
• “The War of the Worlds” was the 17th episode of the CBS Radio series The Mercury Theatre on the Air, which was broadcast at 8 pm ET on October 30, 1938
• The program’s format is a simulated live newscast of developing events. The first two-thirds of the hour-long play is a contemporary retelling of events of the novel, presented as news bulletins interrupting programs of dance music.
• “I had conceived the idea of doing a radio broadcast in such a manner that a crisis would actually seem to be happening,” said Welles, “and would be broadcast in such a dramatized form as to appear to be a real event taking place at that time, rather than a mere radio play.
• The radio program begins as a simulation of a normal evening radio broadcast featuring a weather report and music by “Ramon Raquello and His Orchestra” live from a local hotel ballroom.
• 30:47 radio silence (BAD)
• After the conclusion of the play, Welles reassumed his role as host and told listeners that the broadcast was intended to be merely a “holiday offering”, the equivalent of the Mercury Theater “dressing up in a sheet, jumping out of a bush and saying, ‘Boo!'”
• The rapid expansion of radio in the 1930s into the homes of millions of Americans was a huge threat to the once dominant position of newspapers
• we need to consider the historical and social context behind the broadcast. In terms of Stuart Hall’s reception theory and his encoding / decoding model of communication, this is the audience’s framework of knowledge.

Facts:

War of the Worlds is a drama, and it uses the codes and conventions of a news broadcast in order to make a made up explosion and invasion of aliens seem like a real world issue and crisis.

‘War Of The Worlds’ was a live broadcast which broadcasted on Columbia broadcasting systems (CBS) on October 30th 1938 8-9pm

Arguments

it was presented within the format of normal evening of radio programming – Can leave to confusion

There appears to be a routine report from the “Government Weather Bureau” about a “slight atmospheric disturbance” along the east coast of America. He presents the information in a way which would be believable at first listening, but when you start to really think about it and do research, you realise its not true. We are then “entertained by the music of Ramón Raquello and his orchestra”, another fictional character, who are playing a tango from the Park Plaza Hotel. Even the “special bulletin from the Intercontinental Radio News”, which interrupts the music, met the expectations of the contemporary audience.

the writers were warned against using the original names by the legal department at Columbia Broadcasting Company because they were worried about the threat of litigation. These changes are very subtle so most listeners would not be able to spot the difference. This blurring of boundaries between fact and fiction could be one of the reasons why members of audience believed aliens were attempting to destroy the human race.

Theorists:

The hypodermic needle theory suggests a media text can have a powerful and immediate effect on the passive audience. It would seem “The War of the Worlds” production supports this argument because so many terrified listeners, for example, “rushed out of their houses” to escape the “gas raid”.

Essay Questions:

1. Explain how Orson Welles’ War of the Worlds broadcast used the codes and conventions of radio to convince the audience Martians were invading New York.
2. How do the cultural and historical circumstances affect the audience’s interpretation of media texts? Refer to the Close Study Product War of the Worlds in your answer.
3. Discuss how and why audiences might respond to and interpret media texts differently depending on the social context they are consumed. Refer to the Close Study Product War of the Worlds in your answer.
4. “There is no doubt the media has a profound influence on the audience’s thoughts and behaviour.” To what extent does your analysis of the Close Study Product War of the Worlds support this view?
   
   Uses news bulletins to make viewers believe its real (Mention time)
   
   1. Talk about history and what people were like at time of creation and social contexts.
   2. Reference the pay
   3. Theorists
   4. Talk about audiences and how they react to the news station

The War of the Worlds

https://www.criticalpast.com/video/65675022243_George-Orson-Welles_War-of-the-Worlds_future-broadcasts_journalists-interviewing

• well acted
• well written
• appealing scenery
• good build up to the major events
• interesting plot
• more than one genre, drama, comedy romance – Steve Neale
• showcases the social and cultural contexts – Stuart Hall

broadcasting- communicating with a large number of people

narrowcasting- for a niche target audience

what is the ethos of the BBC?

“To inform entertain and educate” which was developed lord Reith

BBC charter

what is the distinction between populism and paternalism?

Populism what the audience want to watch and consume

Paternalism is action that limits a person’s or group’s liberty or autonomy and is intended to promote their own good.

The argument of opening up ‘new worlds’ to everyday (= common? poor? working class? uneducated???) people could be applied to new media platforms – so what is the difference?

could it be argued that the BBC are saying that by broadcasting to the working class can be bragging that they re smarter than who they were now broadcasting to

Grace Wyndham-Goldie changing nature of modern communication, essentially by transforming time and space. her editor told her not to go to see this and that television would not be important in her lifetime, but she disagreed and believed that it was important, you can see and hear people in another space. this links to Habermas and the transformation of the public sphere.

there was a fear of new technology

the BBC was acting like a social cement as it connected us all together

Habermas and the transformation of the public sphere-

• allows people to connect to other places around the world and hear and see things which are happening outside of where you are from where you are – transforming time and space
• allows for people who have never experienced certain events be included and allow for more discussion from different groups of people such as the working class

Seaton-

• “Broadcasting in Britain – monopoly or duopoly- always depended on assumption of commitment to an undivided good” p342
• “Reaching all parts of the country regardless of cost, seeking to educate inform and improve” p343
• “The goal that the British broadcasting should move towards a sophisticated market system based on consumer sovereignty” p343
• ” The questions which the public asked about broadcasting… were becoming ‘more critical, more hostile and more political” p346
• “Broadcasters have come to see the state as their enemy” p353
• “Thus, without a commitment to public service, broadcasters are increasingly vulnerable to detailed political interference in the content of programmes” p353

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How do the cultural and historical circumstances affect the audience’s interpretation of media texts? Refer to the Close Study Product War of the Worlds in your answer

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Viewer Reception