Welles Of The World: The 75th Anniversary Of The Panic Broadcast

Welles of the World: The 75th Anniversary of the 'Panic Broadcast'
By Kelsey Baker

A Turning Point In Radio History
        This years Halloween marked the 75th anniversary of the mass hysteria that ensued after radio listeners united in chaos when H.G. Wells' "The War of the Worlds" was dramatized and broadcasted all across the nation on October 30, 1938. The program was produced by Welles and the Mercury Theater in New York and aired over the Columbia Broadcasating System radio network.
        The infamous narrator, Orson Welles, gained international attention when he broke the typical story-telling format and conducted his version of the alien air raid from Mars in a breaking news bulletin style, much like Herbert Morrison's reporting for the Hindenburg Disaster. Interestingly enough,  I later discovered that actor Frank Readick, who was slated to play the voice of the reporter for "The War of the Worlds" broadcast actually listened to the recording from the Hindenburg Disaster repeatedly before he went on air to gain inspiration. The realness of the program, however, did not impress casual listeners from all over the nation.

The Panic Press
        "Germany Refuses To Aid Ousted Polish Jews," cried The Austin American with bold text; top, front and center. "Ousted Jews Find Refuge In Poland After Border Stay," yelled The New York Times with a tall, capitalized, bold font.
        On October 30, 1938, the Halloween spirit was shrouded amongst the anxiety and fear that muddled the nation's psyche. America was beginning to rebuild itself after the Great Depression and newspapers were cluttered with headlines of parading German and Japanese armies.

The Oct. 31, 1938 front page of The New York Times. 
The publicity for Orson Welles’ dramatization of H.G. Wells’ “The War of the Worlds,” 
was nuzzled between war-fearing headlines (Copyright New York 

Times Company Oct 31, 1938)

 

Entertainment: Then And Now
        Back in the day, the most popular form of entertainment was constructed in a way to let the audience escape from all the distress that congested their daily lives.
        Today, the kind of realism that the entertainment industry thrives on was hardly even conceivable or appropriate to casual consumers during that time.

View of Grover Mills, New Jersey, where the Martians "invaded"
(AP Photo)

Who's To Blame?
        According to Slate.com, a recent study of the Welles broadcast suggested that the blame for the mass hysteria that followed the panic broadcast was on America's newspapers.

        "Radio had siphoned off advertising revenue from print during the Depression, badly damaging the newspaper industry. So the papers seized the opportunity presented by Welles’ program to discredit radio as a source of news. The newspaper industry sensationalized the panic to prove to advertisers, and regulators, that radio management was irresponsible and not to be trusted. Just as radio was the new medium of the 1930s, opening up exciting new channels of communication, today the Internet provides us with both the promise of a dynamic communicative future and dystopian fears of a new form of mind control; lost privacy; and attacks from scary, mysterious forces. This is the fear that animates our fantasy of panicked hordes—both then and now."

Welles of the World
        Orson Welles, somewhat of an shrewd genius, astutely exploited the shell-shocked, vulnerable American psyche and manifested that fear through the seemingly real news bulletin of a martian invasion that made "The War of the Worlds" broadcast so darn memorable. I could not think of a better way to conclude this, but from Welles' own dialogue from the infamous program: " So goodbye everybody, and remember the terrible lesson you learned tonight. That grinning, glowing, globular invader of your living room is an inhabitant of the pumpkin patch, and if your doorbell rings and nobody's there, that was no Martian. . .it's Hallowe'en."

Sources
The Austin American / October 31, 1938 / pages 1 & 9
The New York Times / October 31, 1938 / pages 1 & 4

Over 100 years of Woman Suffrage

TheresaChristine Etim

Assignment 3 of 3

Women’s rights activists form first American Suffrage Association over 100 year ago

Group centers on women’s voting rights

Boston, MA­­­­­­­­­ ­– Women’s rights advocates formed American Woman Suffrage Association in response of women voting restrictions 145 years ago.

It’s hard to believe that Greta Garbo made front page news for wearing pants because she was a woman, let alone believe that women couldn’t vote at a certain point in history. Still, in a world where ideologies greatly influenced society, people like Lucy Stone and Henry Blackwell sought to change the status quo in November of 1869.

A Bostonian and eighth child of nine, stone felt bestowed to challenge the rights of women as a leader of the movement in the Boston area. Life experiences of women of the time influenced a vast amount of her cause, as she experienced the same.

Teaching at the age of 16 was one of the influencing factors of her cause, as she was allocated what was considered “woman’s pay.” Stone earned $1 a day as a beginning pay which was substantially lower than her male counterparts. Despite bigger districts enabling her a larger pay of $16 a day, she was still paid lower than men of the same occupation. 

In addition to enduring sexism in the workforce, the anti-slavery movement was also one of stone’s influence, as she supported the cause and was influenced by public speakers of the movement. One of which was Abby Kelly, a woman denied the right to speak or vote at an anti-slavery meeting because she was a woman, despite being an agent for the cause in her state.

Despite being forbidden to vote, Kelly continued to raise her hand to issues she felt passionate about. It was this story that cultivated Stone’s public speaking, a talent that made her significant in the Suffrage movement. 

Stone rapidly followed suit when defending a deacon at her church for engaging in anti-slavery activities. Although she too was refused the right to speak or vote when voting for the deacon’s expulsion took place, she continued to actively vote in the presence of the church.

Stone’s story was the influence for many figures in the suffrage movement such as Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Being considered the heart of the Suffrage movement influenced Stone to deter many traditional ways of life. Marriage was no exception, as Stone did not want a male influence to hinder the way she lived.

“Too much has already been said and written about ‘women's sphere,’” Stone said. “Leave women, then, to find their sphere.”

But Stone soon made provisions for marriage after finding a companion that allocated her to have equal partnership in their relationship literallyand legally. That companion was future co-founder of American Woman Suffrage Association Henry Browne Blackwell.

Ironically the 7^th child of 9, Blackwell’s beliefs strayed from his ways of life, as his abolitionist path deterred from his occupation as a sugar refiner. He later looked for alternative sugars that were not pick by slaves.

Blackwell’s early liberal views derived from an exposure of humanitarian views held by his family. His father had friends such as William Lloyd Garrison, as he had ties in the nascent abolition movement. His sister was active in the Suffrage movement, much like Stone.

It was the similarity of background that sustained the union of Stone and Blackwell and paved the way for the formation of the American Woman SuffrageAssociation. The association regarded the constitutionality of the 15^th Amendment, the amendment that granted the right to vote despite race, gender, etc. Its members also had staunch roots in antislavery and rights for African-Americans.

Its founding members Stone, Blackwell, Julia Ward, and Josephine Ruffin formed the association as a branch of the National Woman Suffrage Association. Its national chapter had roots in the 14^th and 15^th Amendment, but Stone and the others decided to center on issues that specially dealt with the 15^th Amendment.

Still, the association found much success in its formation, later creating its own magazine, the Woman’s Journal. Its regional chapters duplicated other publications as well and featured illustrations and articles by its members. Stone ever served as Editor.

Despite much success, it appeared not too wise to have two groups fighting for the same cause. After years of much discussion, the American Woman Suffrage Association and the National Woman Suffrage 

Association merged into one Association after 21 years of separate operation.

Recruiting more educated women, and persuading President Wilson in favor of the now 19^th Amendment were among its new strategies. The changes were signs of a rebirth. Its offspring, was the National American Woman Suffrage Association.

War of the Worlds (radio drama)

 War of the Worlds

By: Jennifer Barajas

Fictional radio broadcast that causes panic

Orson Welles (left) and H.G. Wells (right) meet in
San Antonio, Texas, two years after the radio script aired
to discuss events in Europe. (AP Photo)

What seemed like an acceptable way of entertaining people for Halloween resulted in complete mayhem on Sunday, Oct. 30, 1938. Residents of New York and New Jersey were consumed with terror after hearing a live broadcast on the radio show “The Mercury Theatre on the Air” from 8-9 p.m. The radio script was a dramatization of H.G. Welles’ novel “The War of the Words” directed and narrated by Orson Welles. Although Welles introduced the show as fiction, his outstanding narration convinced listeners who tuned in late that Martians were attacking the Earth.

According to The New York Times article that was published the day after the incident, the radio script began with a weather report later interrupted by a “break-in” from a professor claiming to have spotted explosions on Mars. The description of the narration in the article continued as follows: “News bulletins and scene broadcasts followed, reporting, with the technique in which the radio had reported actual events, the landing of a ‘meteor’ near Princeton N. J., ‘killing’ 1,500 persons, the discovery that the ‘meteor’ was a ‘metal cylinder’ containing strange creatures from Mars armed with ‘death rays’ to open hostilities against the inhabitants of the earth.”

Immediately after hearing the allegations, local residents abandoned their homes in attempts to flee the lethal raid and find safe ground. Some called police stations to confirm if reports of the Martian intrusion were true while others frantically asked about the safety measures they should take. The panic caused traffic jams, interrupted religious services, and blocked communications. Even medical treatment was needed for those suffering from hysteria and shock.

The aftermath

           

The Oct. 31, 1938, front page of The Dallas
Morning News. (Copyright The Dallas 
Morning News Oct. 31, 1938)

A call to action was incited when reports of chaos that the radio drama had caused reached the Federal Communications Commission. Some pushed for more government regulation over broadcasts and encouraged censorship in favor of public interest. Not all FCC members agreed with the idea.

In the Oct. 31, 1938, publication of the Dallas Morning News article titled “Men of Mars Spread Havoc In Radioland: Weird Broadcast Brings Cries for Federal Control”, commissioner T.A.M. Craven is described to be outspoken about opposing broadcast censorship and claims that “the public does not want a spineless radio”.

Not all the commissioners commented on the mishap, but most of them did agree on taking steps to make sure that it will not happen again. According to the previous Dallas Morning News article, W.B. Lewis, vice president of the network responsible for airing Orson Welles’ show, said, “In order that this may not happen again, the program department hereafter will not use the technique of a stimulated news broadcast within a dramatization when the circumstances of the broadcast could cause immediately alarm to numbers of listeners.”

Welles also expressed his regret. In his apology, he said, “Radio is new and we are learning about the affect it has on people.”

Looking back

While researching articles on the radio broadcast of “War of the Worlds”, I noticed one major difference in the way news articles are written today versus how they were written in 1938. The biggest difference is that articles used to be lengthier, which made subheads more common. Both articles from The New York Times and The Dallas Morning News, which I printed from the filmstrips at the Alkek Library, included at least four subheads.

Today, the “War of the Worlds” radio incident is a piece of unusual yet comical U.S. history. How was it that people were so credulous and inattentive?

Perhaps it was because people were more superstitious in the past. Look how far we’ve come since the Salem Witch Trials.

Or, perhaps it was because people were not exposed to an abundance of violent and sensationalistic media like we are today. Who’s going to be credulous now that we have movies like “E.T.”, “Mars Attacks!”, “Star Wars”, “Predator”, “Independence Day”… shall I continue?

The New York Times/ Oct. 31, 1938

The Dallas Morning News/ Oct. 31, 1938/ 1, 6

Jennifer Barajas is a senior majoring in journalism and English at Texas State University. You may contact her at jyb7@txstate.edu or jybarajas@gmail.com

100th anniversary of the women's suffrage movement

The Daily Cleveland Herald/Thursday, Nov. 25, 1869/Page 2, Saturday April 02, 1870/col E

The Milwaukee Daily Sentinel/Friday May 28,1869/col C

Daily Evening Bulletin/Friday May 20, 1870/col B

Women’s suffrage, commemorative events and figures

By Kacee Letbetter

The women’s suffrage movement, which involved a variety of key events dated in the 1860s, celebrates its 100^th anniversary by commemorating the event in 2013-2014. In my research based on The National Woman Suffrage Association, I observed national coverage of the movement as a whole during that time period.

The Women’s Right Movement, which eventually led to the passage of the nineteenth amendment to the constitution, included key figures and events that contributed to its success in the United States. The NWSA, formed in May 1869, intended to achieve voting rights for women by a means of a congressional amendment to the constitution.  A timeline provides a display of the movement’s contributing events.

“The National Woman’s Suffrage Convention-- the first delegate suffrage convention ever held in the United States—assembled at Case Hall on Wednesday morning.”

                        -The Daily Cleveland Herald, 1869

“At the New England Woman’s Suffrage Convention, yesterday evening, a resolution was adopted instructing the Executive Committee to take measures for the organization of a national woman’s suffrage association.”

                        -Milwaukee Daily Sentinel, 1869

“There are now three societies, one organized in May ’66—the American Equal Rights Association – of which Lucretia Mott is president; another organized in May last—National Woman’s Suffrage Association—of which Elizabeth Cady Stanton is president, and a third organized in Cleveland in November last—American Woman Suffrage Association – of which Henry Ward Bhecher is president.”

                        -The Daily Cleveland Herald, 1870

Although I found several articles that noted the existence of the National Woman Suffrage Association, I also found articles supporting the opposition for the movement.

“If these female suffragists keep on splitting and splitting, they will, by-and-by, get down to smaller proportions than the smallest of all the fleas mentioned by the poet. They have now divided three times, and the chance is more than ever that they will smash up again before the month is over.”

                        -Daily Evening Bulletin, 1870

Women’s suffrage is recognized both historically and currently as Americans celebrate the movement’s 100th anniversary. Newspapers reported on the proceedings of the events that lead to commemorative events in the period.

The assassination of President John F. Kennedy

By Aric Cisneros

The New York Times, Nov. 23, 1963, Page 1

The Dallas Morning News, Nov. 23, 1963, Page 1

Breaking News

This UPI teletype bulletin likely would have been a “tweet” in 2014/ Texas State Library and Archives Commission

Nov. 22, 1963, was perhaps one of the most important dates in the modern history of print and broadcast journalism. The world stood by as details slowly poured in about the attempt on President John F. Kennedy’s life. The media world of 1963 was vastly different from the world we know today; 50 years ago, breaking news did not spread like wildfire through Twitter, live blogs and video streams. On that day, eyes were glued to the television screen as people tried to make sense of what was going on in Dallas, Texas.

Once the confirmation of Kennedy’s death reached CBS, the network cut away from an afternoon soap opera to a visibly distraught Cronkite in the newsroom, surrounded by rotary telephones and clattering newswire machines, as he informed the nation of the president’s death.

“From Dallas, Texas, the flash apparently official, President Kennedy died at 1 p.m. Central Standard Time.” – CBS News, Walter Cronkite

Prior to this event, there was no real template or guideline for handling a moment of this magnitude in broadcast news. So much of the footage was raw and unscripted, some broadcasters even had one ear to the phone as they relayed messages to viewers. That was only the beginning, though, as the next four days were chaos -- from the shooting of Lee Harvey Oswald on live television to Kennedy’s funeral.

Print Journalism

Headlines from The New York Times and The Dallas Morning News on Nov. 23, 1963, the day after Kennedy’s death.

According to The New York Times, more than 200,000 words were produced on the very first day; this started with The Times’ White House correspondent Tom Wicker’s 4,000 word lead story. The journalists at the time had to overcome their own shock, grief and bewilderment to report the news as it developed. Over those four days, more than 120 articles were written, covering every angle of the event. The only comparable moment for anyone born after these events in 1963 would be those affected by the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001.

The powerful, straight to the point lead by Tom Wicker, NYT White House correspondent

Conspiracy Theories

Over the years, the conspiracy theories surrounding the death of President Kennedy have become a constant source of discussion. The Warren Commission formed a report concluding that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone. This report became ground zero for conspiracy discussions.

According to CNN, over the last 50 years, the “lone gunman” theory doubters have accused 42 groups, 82 assassins and 214 people of being involved with the assassination. There is a lot of paranoia to go around for some of these doubters who have made it a personal obsession to debunk the theory.

Remembering Kennedy

1962 portrait of John F. Kennedy at his White House desk./ Associated Press

For a man who didn't even serve a full term as president and had his fair share of flaws, Kennedy was endeared by most of the nation and is considered one of the better occupants of the Oval Office.

“And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country.” – President John F. Kennedy

Aric Cisneros is a Journalism student at Texas State University. He can be reached at amc238@txstate.edu

Women's suffrage celebrates centennial anniversary

Women's suffrage celebrates centennial anniversary

By Amanda Ross

The 100th anniversary of American women's right to vote brings with it celebration, reflections and an examination of just how far the nation has come. Information gathered from The New York Times archive 1860-1913, officially sanctioned historical websites and Women's Journal and Suffrage News archives from 1913.

The movement takes root

While the true launch of women’s suffrage is often thought of as a turn-of-the-century movement, the cause has beginnings prior to the Civil War. A council of both men and women dedicated to furthering the rights of American women met frequently in the late 1840s. The now-legendary Seneca Falls Convention met in upstate New York in 1848, attended by some 300 patrons including Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Frederick Douglass. Post-Seneca Falls, meetings and rallies became something of a common occurrence in the country. The New York Times has records of these feminist meetings as early as 1860, many of which were attended by prominent male figures to underscore the assertions of their female counterparts. Through the end of the 19th century, the fight for women’s rights ran parallel with the rights of other marginalized peoples including ethnic minorities, the illiterate and those living in poverty—then referred to as paupers.

Suffragettes tout one of their slogans during a 1916 parade

through New York City | Courtesy of the Library of Congress

A New York Times case summary and editorial written in the immediate aftermath of the Supreme Court’s 1862 Dred Scott decision discusses the Constitution’s flexibility—or lack thereof—and the groups it impacts. “In respect to suffrage, the right is granted by the Constitution, and as this grant changes, the right changes,” the editorial reads, and goes on to spell out the dichotomy between citizenship and voting rights. During the Civil War and in the shadow of its immediate aftermath, few major discussions of suffrage took place. However, in 1869, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony officially formed the National Women Suffrage Association and frequently vocalized their views in the public arena and even voiced opposition to the Fifteenth Amendment unless it was revised to included women. Since its founding, the group—which later merged with another women’s suffrage association—obtained a hearing before Congress every year up until women’s suffrage was legalized. Because there is so much information leading up the Nineteenth Amendment available, it is important to be discerning regarding what should and shouldn’t be included. It is important to highlight how frequently women’s rights intersecting with Black American rights, as it gives the reader context on the nation’s mindset and general happenings.

Prominent Suffragettes

The suffrage movement yielded a laundry list of strong, decisive females, but only a handful would go on to join their long-privileged male counterparts in America’s history books. Hailed as one of history’s most significant figures, Susan B. Anthony grew up among a family of activists, which gave her a strong sense of social justice at an early age, according to the official Susan B.Anthony House Foundation. While fighting for equality, Anthony kept a tome detailing the struggle for women’s rights, a first-person account of one of the most pivotal times in history. Though Anthony would die before women’s suffrage was legalized, the granting Nineteenth Amendment was colloquially referred to as the Susan B. Anthony Amendment. It was passed in 1920, exactly 100 years after Anthony’s birth. The New York Times covered the suffrage movement consistently and thoroughly, including question-and-answer-style stories as well as traditional longform pieces.While there are many very important key figures (both men and women) in the fight for equal rights, too much background on these individuals can cloud an otherwise concise story. Highlighting the personal life of Anthony, the most prominent of all suffragettes, is sufficient context for an article. 

Modern times

Women’s suffrage celebrated its centennial anniversary in 2013, a landmark in American history.

As hundreds march through New York City in 1916, a sign celebrates

support from President Woodrow Wilson | Courtesy of the

Library of Congress

But while things may seem equal on the surface, an article exploring the modern inequalities and micro aggressions faced by American women would give readers a better scope, and chance to compare our current state, allowing them to draw their own conclusion on just how far the nation has come. For example, the article could explore the much-discussed pay inequality faced by women, a hot-button issue in our current political climate. For global context, which is always important in national journalism, an easy-to-read infographic or callout featuring the year in which other nations granted women the right to vote would make for an interesting and thought-provoking bit. It would be interesting for readers to examine how the United States compared to other nations, and how many nations still do not allow women’s suffrage in 2014. For a note of levity, the end of the article could explore how different cities in the United States celebrated the 100th anniversary. According to news site Examiner.com, several cities across the nation reenacted the famous 1913 march that reinvigorated the suffrage movement. Additionally, the original Nineteenth Amendment was on display at the National Archive to commemorate its passing. The perfecting ending would include this bit of information from the U.S. National Census as of 2012: female voter turnout far surpasses male. 

Amanda Ross is a journalism major at Texas State University. Contact her at anr3@txstate.edu.

CREDITS

The New York Times: Feb. 3, 1860

The New York Times: Dec. 17, 1862

The New York Times: Dec. 31, 1869

The New York Times: Aug. 26, 1913

Woman's Journal: March 8, 1913

The Examiner: March 1, 2013