Radio Propaganda during World War II

Radio Propaganda during World War II

Propaganda played an important role before and throughout World War II. It helped accelerate the development of the war and hastened actually fighting. It also played a crucial role in individual countries in increasing production and helping the war effort. Without propaganda, it is doubtless that the war would have taken a different course.

I. American radio propaganda during WWII

The radio has had a huge impact on bringing information to the public about war and other government issues. Advertising and broadcasting on the airwaves was a major step in bringing war propaganda to a level where people could be easily touched nationally. Broadcasting around the clock was being offered everywhere. Before there was television people relied on the radio as a way to be entertained, the means of finding out what was going on in the world, and much more. During the World War II time period, 90 percent of American families owned a radio, and it was a part of daily life. So it was an obvious means of spreading war propaganda. During this time period, propaganda was spread throughout the radio by means of news programs, public affairs broadcasts, as well as through Hollywood and the mainstream. The average person had not even graduated high school at the time, and the average reading level of the American was somewhat low. The radio made it possible for stories and news to be delivered to everyone in plain simple English. The radio served as a medium that provided a sense of national community. Although it took time, the radio eventually rallied people together to back up the American war effort.

Propaganda in the Pre-World War II time period was very unpopular with the American people. Before WWII, the American people were getting tired of propaganda efforts put on by the government. Government propaganda reminded Americans of the war propaganda tactics used in earlier in World War I and now FDR was putting tons of effort into radio propaganda to support the new deal. FDR and his administration worked hard to convince people, politicians, and the media that the government was NOT trying to censor up information about what was going on. However the government still increased the radio informational network under the cover of the emergency defense network.