How Media Affected World War 2

Media through its various sources has long had an impact on the public opinion and approval of wars. Never was that more evident than in World War II. With radio publications, news reels before movies and magazine coverage, America and Great Britain were able to follow the war and patriotism was able to grow in both areas.

Before America entered WWII in December of 1941, few Americans had any thoughts of war. But when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, Americans all over the country gathered around their radios to hear the tragic news, wait for the President to speak and to realize that America was indeed now at war. While radio was one form of media that helped shape WWII, newspapers, movie reels and magazines were also utilized to get Americans in favor of the war and to keep them informed on the progress.

Because there was very little television in the 1940s, movie reels were among the only ways that Americans could see the atrocities of Hitler, Mussolini and Emperor Hirohito. Movie reels helped bring the sympathies of the Americans to the Allied side and helped keep the morale high on the home front. Those left at home were able to see why their loved ones were fighting and were anxious to help in any way possible, such as rationing food, growing victory gardens or sendning more women into the workplace.

Radio broadcasts were, by far, the most common method of getting news out to the Allied home fronts, both in America and Great Britain. The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) reported much of the news from the battle fronts, helping keep Americans aware of the progress being made in the war.