Was There Really a Mass Panic as a Result of the War of the Worlds Broadcast?

Summary

On October 30, 1938, Orson Welles' radio adaptation of H.G. Wells' 'War of the Worlds' was broadcasted, causing a supposed nationwide panic. Contrary to popular belief, the broadcast was not as widely heard as newspapers sensationalized, with only a small fraction of listeners mistaking it for reality. The myth of mass hysteria was fueled by newspapers competing with radio for advertising, leading to exaggerated reports. The video also explores the origins of Halloween, tracing back to Roman and Celtic festivals, and the evolution of traditions like trick-or-treating.

Takeaways

• 🎭 On October 30, 1938, Orson Welles broadcast a radio adaptation of H.G. Wells's 'War of the Worlds' from the Mercury Theatre in New York City, which was presented as a series of simulated news reports.
• 📚 'War of the Worlds' was originally published in 1898 and is considered one of the most influential science fiction novels, with H.G. Wells being a renowned author of the time.
• 📡 The 1938 radio adaptation was unique for its time due to its innovative storytelling method, which included fake news bulletins and eyewitness accounts to dramatize the narrative.
• 📊 Despite claims of widespread panic, actual evidence of mass hysteria caused by the broadcast is scarce, with ratings and listener responses suggesting limited impact.
• 📰 Newspapers of the time played a significant role in amplifying the myth of mass panic following the broadcast, possibly to criticize the emerging medium of radio and boost newspaper sales.
• 🏢 The broadcast coincided with other popular radio programs and had competition for listeners, which may have reduced the number of people who tuned in.
• 📈 The so-called panic was likely overstated, with law enforcement and hospital records showing no significant increase in related incidents that night.
• 🎃 The broadcast took place the day before Halloween, which may have influenced the public's perception and reaction to the dramatic and frightening content.
• 📢 The media's portrayal of the event served to highlight the power of radio as a medium, which could have implications for advertising and public trust in media.
• 👻 Orson Welles's intention with the broadcast was to challenge the credibility of media and to encourage critical thinking among listeners, rather than to cause panic.

Q & A

Who broadcasted a modernized radio play of HG Wells's 'War of the Worlds' on October 30, 1938?

Orson Welles broadcasted a modernized radio play of HG Wells's 'War of the Worlds' from the Mercury Theatre in New York City.

What was the original medium of HG Wells's 'War of the Worlds'?

The 'War of the Worlds' first appeared in magazines in 1897 and was published as a book in 1898.

How was the 1938 radio adaptation of 'War of the Worlds' different from the original novel?

The 1938 radio adaptation was set in New Jersey and was told through staged news broadcasts and reports, unlike the original novel set in England and told through the eyes of an unnamed protagonist and his brother.

What were the factors that might have affected the number of people tuning into the 'War of the Worlds' broadcast on October 30, 1938?

Factors affecting the number of listeners included the airing of a popular comedy variety show on a competing radio station at the same time, and several major CBS affiliates preempting the broadcast for local commercial programming.

How did the newspapers contribute to the myth of mass panic caused by the 'War of the Worlds' broadcast?

Newspapers used sensational headlines and stories to imply widespread panic, which helped sell papers and criticize the new medium of radio as a serious competitor in news and advertising.

What was the actual impact of the 'War of the Worlds' broadcast on the public according to law enforcement and hospital documentation?

According to law enforcement and hospital documentation, there were no reports of people taking to the streets with guns, no one was taken to the hospital due to the broadcast, and no one committed suicide as a result of it.

What was the role of Orson Welles in the 'War of the Worlds' radio broadcast, and what was his intention?

Orson Welles was the broadcaster of the 'War of the Worlds' radio play. His intention was to challenge the credibility of the new medium of radio and to make people question the information they received without critical thinking.

How did the myth of nationwide panic from the 'War of the Worlds' broadcast persist?

The myth persisted due to the extensive media coverage, with newspapers writing nearly 13,000 articles on it over the next month, and the public's acceptance of these reports as truth.

What is the origin of Halloween traditions mentioned in the script?

The majority of Halloween traditions are derived from four different festivals: the Roman festivals of Pharrell and Pomona, the Celtic festival of Samhain, and the Catholic holidays of All Souls' Day and All Saints' Day.

How did the tradition of trick-or-treating evolve from earlier Halloween customs?

Trick-or-treating evolved from the customs of souling and guising, where children and poor adults would dress up in costumes and go door-to-door begging for food or money in exchange for songs, prayers, or performances.

Outlines

00:00

📻 The Myth of the 1938 War of the Worlds Panic

On October 30, 1938, Orson Welles aired a radio adaptation of H.G. Wells's 'War of the Worlds' from the Mercury Theatre in New York City. Despite being introduced as fiction, the broadcast, which was interspersed with simulated news reports, led to a widely believed myth that it caused mass panic across the United States. However, the reality was that the broadcast was clearly stated as fiction at the beginning and during the show, and the 'panic' was more a media creation than a genuine public reaction. The myth was perpetuated by newspapers that sought to discredit the new medium of radio, which was becoming a competitor in news and advertising. In truth, the number of listeners was low, and most who heard it understood it was a drama, with only a small percentage being momentarily fooled.

05:01

👻 The Origins of Halloween Traditions

The traditions associated with Halloween have roots in four different festivals: the Roman festivals of Pharrell and Pomona, the Celtic festival of Samhain, and the Catholic holidays of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day. The practice of dressing up in costumes or masks comes from the Celtic Samhain festival, where it was believed the realms of the living and the dead overlapped, and dressing as spirits was a way to fool actual spirits. The church later adapted this tradition into dressing up as saints, angels, or demons during All Hallows' Eve. The practice of 'souling,' where children and poor adults would dress up and go door-to-door for food or money in exchange for songs and prayers, evolved into 'guising' and eventually 'trick-or-treating' in North America, particularly after World War II when sugar rations were lifted and Halloween's popularity surged.

10:02

🍬 The Evolution of Trick-or-Treating

Trick-or-treating, as it is known today, evolved from the practice of 'guising' in the UK and 'souling' in the Celtic tradition. It became popular in North America during the 1920s and 1930s, particularly in the western part of the continent. The term 'trick-or-treat' first appeared in a Canadian newspaper in 1927, describing children demanding treats and playing pranks. After World War II, with the lifting of sugar rations, Halloween's popularity increased significantly, and trick-or-treating became a widespread practice. The tradition transformed from children performing for treats to a more straightforward exchange, sometimes involving vandalism or extortion, for confectionaries.

Keywords

💡Orson Welles

Orson Welles was a prominent American actor, director, writer, and producer who is particularly known for his innovative radio and film work. In the context of the video, he is noted for his 1938 radio broadcast of 'War of the Worlds,' which was a modernized adaptation of H.G. Wells' novel. The broadcast, which was presented as a series of simulated news bulletins, is famous for allegedly causing panic among listeners who believed that an actual Martian invasion was occurring.

💡War of the Worlds

The 'War of the Worlds' is a science fiction novel by H.G. Wells, first published in 1898, which depicts an invasion of Earth by aliens from Mars. In the video, it is highlighted that the novel was adapted into a radio drama by Orson Welles in 1938, which became infamous for its supposed ability to induce mass panic among listeners due to its realistic presentation style.

💡Mass Panic

Mass panic refers to a widespread, uncontrolled fear or anxiety that affects a large number of people, often leading to irrational behavior. The video discusses the myth that the 'War of the Worlds' radio broadcast caused mass panic among listeners, suggesting that this perception was largely fueled by sensationalist media coverage rather than actual widespread public reaction.

💡H.G. Wells

Herbert George Wells, known as H.G. Wells, was an English writer who is best known for his science fiction novels, including 'The Time Machine,' 'The Invisible Man,' and 'The War of the Worlds.' The video mentions him as the author of the original 'War of the Worlds' novel, which was adapted into the controversial radio broadcast by Orson Welles.

💡Radio Broadcast

A radio broadcast refers to the transmission of audio content over the airwaves, which can be received by listeners using a radio receiver. The video focuses on the radio broadcast of 'War of the Worlds' as a significant event in media history, emphasizing its innovative format and the controversy surrounding its impact on listeners.

💡Media Sensationalism

Media sensationalism is the practice of presenting news or information in a way that is intended to attract attention and arouse strong emotions, often by exaggerating or distorting the truth. The video suggests that the myth of mass panic following the 'War of the Worlds' broadcast was largely a result of sensationalist reporting by newspapers, which sought to discredit radio as a new medium and sell more copies.

💡CBS

CBS, or the Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network. In the video, CBS is mentioned as the network that aired the 'War of the Worlds' radio broadcast, which was produced by Orson Welles' Mercury Theatre and caused a significant public and media reaction.

💡Halloween

Halloween is a holiday celebrated on October 31, with roots in the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain and later Christian traditions like All Saints' Day. The video discusses how the 'War of the Worlds' broadcast, which aired on October 30, 1938, just before Halloween, may have been influenced by the holiday's association with fear and the supernatural.

💡News Bulletin

A news bulletin is a brief, concise report on a single news event, often broadcast on radio or television. The video describes how the 'War of the Worlds' radio broadcast was structured as a series of news bulletins, which contributed to its perceived realism and the subsequent controversy over its impact on listeners.

💡Public Perception

Public perception refers to the collective beliefs, attitudes, and opinions that a group of people hold about a particular topic or event. The video explores how public perception of the 'War of the Worlds' broadcast was shaped by media coverage, and how this differed from the actual reactions of listeners, who were generally aware that the broadcast was fictional.

💡Credibility

Credibility in the context of media refers to the trustworthiness and reliability of the information presented. The video suggests that Orson Welles' intention with the 'War of the Worlds' broadcast was to challenge the credibility of radio as a medium, encouraging listeners to question the information they received rather than accepting it uncritically.

Highlights

Orson Welles broadcasted a modernized radio play of HG Wells's 'War of the Worlds' on October 30, 1938.

It is a myth that the broadcast caused mass panic among Americans.

The broadcast was clearly stated as fiction at the beginning and twice during the show.

'War of the Worlds' was first published in 1898 and is a seminal work in science fiction.

HG Wells was already a famous author known for works like 'The Time Machine' and 'The Invisible Man'.

The 1938 adaptation by Orson Welles differed from the original by changing the setting to New Jersey.

The broadcast was presented as a series of simulated news reports and eyewitness accounts.

The Mercury Theatre's performance was innovative and entertaining.

The broadcast coincided with a popular comedy variety show on a competing radio station.

Some CBS affiliates did not air the broadcast for local commercial programming.

A survey by the CEO Hopper company found that very few people were listening to the broadcast.

Newspaper headlines falsely claimed that the broadcast caused nationwide panic.

The newspapers were competing with radio for news and advertising revenue.

Law enforcement and hospital records show no evidence of mass panic or injuries related to the broadcast.

The myth of nationwide panic was perpetuated by newspapers to discredit the new medium of radio.

Orson Welles believed there was mass panic, but it was likely a small percentage of listeners.

Halloween traditions are derived from four different festivals, including the Celtic Samhain.

The practice of wearing costumes during Halloween comes from Celtic end-of-year celebrations.

Trick-or-treating evolved from the tradition of 'souling' or 'guising' in the UK.

The term 'trick-or-treat' first appeared in a Canadian newspaper in 1927.

Transcripts

[Music]

on the 30th of October 1938 from the

mercury theater in New York City Orson

Welles broadcasted a modernized radio

play of HG Wells's

1898 novel War of the Worlds it is

commonly stated that this fictionalized

CBS broadcast Center mericans into a

panic that citizens across the country

didn't realize that this was science

fiction despite the fact that it was

explicitly stated at the beginning and

twice during the broadcast and thought

the USA was under attack from invading

Martians littered with realistic

simulated news reports and eyewitness

accounts this hour-long broadcast was

innovative and an extremely entertaining

way to present the story but was there

actually the mass panic to begin with

the War of the Worlds first appeared in

magazines simultaneously in the UK and

in the u.s. in 1897 it was published as

a book in 1898 and is considered one of

the most influential pieces of science

fiction ever written the Englishman HG

Herbert George Wells was already quite a

famous author by the time he got to

Martians attacking earth in 1895 he

published the time machine as well as

popularizing the term the island of dr.

Moreau in 1896 and the Invisible Man in

1897 directly before War of the Worlds

this secured his position at the time as

one of the world's best-known if not

truly the first science fiction writer

after War of the Worlds he went on to

write several more books including the

nonfiction best-selling three volume

outline of history as you might have

guessed from all of this HG Wells was

quite a well-known writer in 1938 and

his novels including War of the Worlds

were widely read on both continents so

when Orson adapted the novel in 1938

there was nothing particularly new about

the story itself the differences came

from the medium and structure of the

storytelling

while the 1938 version told the story of

the destruction of New Jersey the 1898

original takes place in England or more

specifically in Surrey and London

another significant difference between

the two works is that HG s version is

told through the eyes of an unnamed

protagonist and his brother Orson's is

told through stage news broadcasts and

reports for instance ladies and

gentlemen

a grave announcement to make incredible

as it may seem both the observations of

science and the evidence of our eyes

lead to the inescapable assumption that

those strange beings who landed in the

jersey farmlands tonight are the

vanguard of an invading army from the

planet Mars as for the number of

listeners as awesome step to the

microphone in the evening of the day

before Halloween in 1938 there were

already several well-known factors that

potentially were going to affect the

number of people who were actually going

to tune into the broadcast that evening

for one the very popular chase and

Sanborn hour a comedy variety show

hosted by the ventriloquist Edgar Bergen

was airing at the exact same time on a

competing radio station NBC additionally

several major CBS affiliates including

in Boston preempted the broadcast for

local commercial programming further as

the program progressed the CEO hopper

company called approximately 5,000

households to ask the question to what

program are you listening see hopper was

an American company that measured radio

ratings for the major networks to see

how much they could charge for

advertising during a particular program

much like Nielsen ratings for television

today in fact AC Nielsen bought C hopper

in 1950 it turns out only 2% answered

something in reference to the War of the

Worlds on CBS none of these people spoke

of any news broadcast or special

bulletin about aliens either

so besides very few listening in it

would seem those who were all knew that

it was just a story which perhaps

shouldn't be a surprise considering it

was announced at the beginning and twice

during the broadcast as we already

mentioned so how did the radio broadcast

of war of the worlds created mass

hysteria myth get perpetuated in shorts

where was the media newspaper headlines

across the country gave the impression

that panic gripped the nation radio fake

scares nation at the Chicago Herald an

examiner fake radio war stirs terror

through us was reported in the New York

Daily News accompanied with a picture of

a frightened man and a woman with an arm

sling whose caption read war victim

terror by radio could be found in a New

York Times editorial you see in the

newspaper industry had quite a bone to

pick with the new medium of radio as w

joseph campbell of american university

wrote in the BBC

newsmagazine in 2011 for the 73rd

anniversary of the broadcast the so

called panic broadcast brought

newspapers an exceptional opportunity to

censor radio a still new medium that was

becoming a serious competitor in

providing news and advertising that's a

New York Times editorial with the

inflammatory headline has this to say

about its new competitor radio is new

but it has adult responsibilities it has

not mastered itself or the material it

uses additionally the newspapers also

wanted to sell papers and what better

way to do that than using words like

terror and panic and war using anecdotal

and scattered stories they made it seem

like many citizens were ready to bear

arms against the alien invaders but in

truth those stories were either very few

and far between or in some cases they

were just completely made up according

to law enforcement and hospital

documentation from the night in question

there were no reports of people taking

to the streets with guns and no one was

taken to the hospital on account of the

radio broadcast and no person committed

suicide as a result of said broadcast

the only noticeable effect was that law

enforcement saw a small spike in calls

in the New Jersey area particularly

which was the site of the supposed to

tack on the evening in question with

most simply asking whether the broadcast

was a hoax and calling to find out more

information as David Miller points out

in his textbook introduction to

collective behavior some callers

requested information some people call

to find out where they could go to

donate blood some callers were simply

angry that such a realistic show was

allowed on the air while others called

CBS to congratulate Mercury Theatre for

the exciting Halloween program but in

the end there was no mass panic and the

spike in calls to the police is one of

the few bits of evidence we have that at

least a small percentage of the

listeners had concerns or complaints

over the broadcast thus given the

complete lack of evidence of any actual

panic anywhere the fact that the ratings

were extremely low that it was announced

during the broadcast three times that

the show was fiction and that the story

being covered was something many were

familiar with it is generally agreed

that newspapers just created the panic

after the facts including US newspapers

writing nearly 13,000 articles on it

over the next month from there the

public's swallowed up the news

reports and radio and CBS particularly

were happy to embrace the claims sa

demonstration of the power of the new

medium which was good for advertising

dollars and ratings Orson Welles himself

believed there had been a mass panic

rather than simply as it was a small

percentage of the small percentage of

the u.s. population listening in

believing it was real for a short while

the myth of the nationwide panic has

perpetuated a sense as to the motivation

behind presenting the story is real in

the first place

Orson Welles had this very pertinent

thing to say considering the

misinformation the newspapers would

spread about the broadcast we were fed

up with the way in which everything that

came over this new magic box the radio

was being swallowed people you know do

suspect what they read in the newspapers

and what people tell them but when the

radio came and I suppose now television

anything that came through that new

machine was believed so in a way our

broadcast was an assault on the

credibility of that machine we wanted

people to understand that they shouldn't

take any opinion predigested and they

shouldn't swallow everything that came

through the tap whether it was radio or

not but as I say it was only a partial

experiment we have no idea the extent of

the thing and now for a bonus fact every

wonder how Halloween got started well

wonder no more the vast majority of the

traditions commonly associated with

Halloween today are borrowed or adopted

from four different festivals namely the

Roman pharrell Festival commemorating

the dead the Roman Pomona festival

honoring the goddess of fruit and trees

the Celtic Festival Sam Wynn meaning

summer's ends also called Samhain which

the bulk of Halloween traditions

ultimately stem from the Catholic All

Souls Day and All Saints Day which was

instigated around eight hundred by the

church to try and replace Sam ween the

practice of wearing costumes or masks

during this sort of awesome celebration

comes from a Celtic end-of-year they

celebrated New Year's on November the

first Samoan tradition during Samhain

young men impersonated evil spirits by

dressing up in white costumes with

blackened faces or masks there was

believed that during the transition from

one year to the next the realms of the

living and the dead would overlap

allowing the dead to roam the earth

again

thus by dressing up as spirits they were

trying to fool actual spirits into

thinking they were spirits as well which

is apparently particularly helpful when

encountering evil spirit

beginning in the eighth century the

Catholic Church was trying to provide an

activity that would hopefully stamp out

these old Samoan traditions they came up

with All Hallows Eve evening All Souls

Day and All Saints Day many of the

traditions of Sam Wynn were then adapted

into these festivals and by the 11th

century the church had adapted the

Celtic costume tradition to dressing up

as Saints angels or demons during the

celebration as for trick-or-treating or

guising from disguising traditions

beginning in the Middle Ages children

and sometimes poor adults would dress up

in the aforementioned costumes and go

around door to door during Holi most

begging for food or money in exchange

for songs and prayers this was called

soling and the children were called

soulless an example of a relatively

recent 19th century soling song is as

follows a soul a soul a soul cake these

good missus a soul cake an apple a pear

a plum or a cherry any good thing to

make us all Merry one for Peter two for

Paul three for him who made us all as

you might have guessed from the song a

common food given while souling was a

solo cake or so sometimes known as a har

cake soul cakes were small round cakes

often with a cross marked on top that

represented a soul being freed from

purgatory when the cake was eaten soul

cakes were generally sweet cakes

including such ingredients as nutmeg

ginger cinnamon and raisins soloing

ultimately gave rise to guising in the

UK starting in the 19th century with

children dressing up and begging for

things like fruit and money in order to

earn this token that often tell jokes

sing songs play an instrument recite a

poem or perform in some other way for

amusements not some like the old

tradition of soling but instead of

prayers a performance was offered the

practice of guising made its way to

North America probably brought over by

the Scottish and Irish in the late 19th

or early 20th century the first

documented reference was in 1911

trick-or-treating instead of guising on

Halloween popped up in North America in

the 1920s and 1930s first in the western

half of the continent the term and

practice slowly spreads with a brief

respite during World War two after world

war ii sugar rations were lifted

Halloween's popularity saw a huge spike

and within five years trick-or-treating

was a near ubiquitous practice

throughout North America

once guising morphed into

trick-or-treating children no longer

performed

treats but instead vandalized and

extorted for their confectionaries the

earliest known reference to

trick-or-treat was printed in the

November 4th 1927 edition of the Blackie

Alberta Canada Herald and it says this

Halloween provided an opportunity for

real strenuous fun no real damage was

done except to the temper of some who

had to hunt for wagon wheels gates

wagons barrels etc much of which

decorated the front Street the youthful

tormentors were at back door and France

demanding edible plunder by the word

trick-or-treat to which the inmates

gladly responded and sent the robbers

away rejoicing so I really hope you

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