War of the Worlds

When War of the Worlds first aired on October 30, 1938, panic ensued in much of North America and parts of Canada. Looking back, it seems silly to us that people would believe that aliens were actually invading. The circumstances that lead radio listeners to believe that the world was coming to an end was a part of a perfect storm of state of mind, format, and and a more trustworthy view of the medium. 

When War of the Worlds aired, the general public were in a state of heightened security awareness from the climate of the world scene. The second world war was causing tension and panic world wide already. America was also coming out of the great depression which was a time where the radio became a staple in every American household. The radio had become a source of entertainment and a way to get information about what was happening  in the world. 

Every radio program had a certain format that the public had grown accustomed to. So when Orson Welles wrote War of the Worlds in a  news format, people believed it. I've heard people today shake their heads and say that the only reason why people panicked with War of the Worlds was because people used to be much more naive than we are today. I just don't think that's true. Instead, I think that people today are just more cynical towards media. We are used to having information instantly and know that many times this information could be false or exaggerated. But even though we know that the information may be assumed, the majority of the public still believes what we are told anyways. 

So maybe we are naive too.