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On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1938, radio was the voice Americans trusted. News from Europe was growing more serious, and listeners relied on those broadcasts to understand what was happening in the world. When regular programming was interrupted, people paid attention and assumed what they were hearing was real.

So when urgent bulletins broke in with reports of an alien attack on American soil, many believed it. There were no extraterrestrial invasions, only an intricately crafted radio drama directed and narrated by the then-unknown Orson Welles, based on The War of the Worlds. The broadcast and the panic that followed changed the way news and media could be presented.

A. Brad Schwartz, author of Broadcast Hysteria: Orson Welles’s War of the Worlds and the Art of Fake News, shares the story.

Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)

On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1938, radio was the voice Americans trusted. News from Europe was growing more serious, and listeners relied on those broadcasts to understand what was happening in the world. When regular programming was interrupted, people paid attention and assumed what they were hearing was real. So when urgent bulletins broke in with reports of an alien attack on American soil, many believed it. There were no extraterrestrial invasions, only an intricately crafted radio drama directed and narrated by the then-unknown Orson Welles, based on The War of the Worlds. The broadcast and the panic that followed changed the way news and media could be presented. A. Brad Schwartz, author of&nbsp;<a href="https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FBroadcast-Hysteria-Orson-Welless-Worlds%2Fdp%2F0809031647&amp;data=05%7C02%7CUraelBlackshear%40iheartmedia.com%7C30c95e5607da4af166be08deaa0936fe%7C122a527e5b714eba878d9810b495b9e3%7C0%7C0%7C639135153778731346%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=XH1%2B8oNkQPZyfgvkx%2BPGdG1pQsfi9KATZyy2bbUuyMo%3D&amp;reserved=0" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="2">Broadcast Hysteria: Orson Welles&rsquo;s War of the Worlds and the Art of Fake News</a>, shares the story.
Support the show (<a href="https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)">https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)</a>

Our American Stories tells stories that aren’t being told. Positive stories about generosity and courage, resilience and redemption, faith and love. Stories about the past and present. And stories about ordinary Americans who do extraordinary things each and every day. Stories from our listeners about their lives. And their history. In that pursuit, we hope we’ll be a place where listeners can refresh their spirit, and be inspired by our stories.

Our American Stories

Our American Stories tells stories that aren’t being told. Positive stories about generosity and courage, resilience and redemption, faith and love. Stories about the past and present. And stories about ordinary Americans who do extraordinary things each and every day. Stories from our listeners about their lives. And their history. In that pursuit, we hope we’ll be a place where listeners can refresh their spirit and be inspired by our stories.

Our American Stories tells stories that aren&rsquo;t being told. Positive stories about generosity and courage, resilience and redemption, faith and love. Stories about the past and present. And stories about ordinary Americans who do extraordinary things each and every day. Stories from our listeners about their lives. And their history. In that pursuit, we hope we&rsquo;ll be a place where listeners can refresh their spirit and be inspired by our stories.

Orson Welles and the Night “War of the Worlds” Terrified America

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/5c1f40e7-86cf-41f5-b88e-b442014ecd10/transcript