Information for this
piece was compiled with information from The New York Times, November 1, 1938,
edition. Pages 1 and Page 26; The Dallas Morning News, November 1, 1938,
edition, Page 1 and Page 6; and the New York Daily News Web page of original
coverage.
By Natalie Newton
The year 2013 marked the 75th anniversary of “The
War of the Worlds” radio broadcast by Orson Welles, the broadcast that sent the
nation into panic and chaos. Depending on where you were at the time of the
broadcast, local newspapers and state newspapers may or may not have covered
the event.
What
was it?
“The War of the Worlds” broadcast aired Oct. 30, 1938, on
the Columbia Broadcasting System. The broadcast caused panic and havoc across
the nation and put people in a state of chaos. People fled and tried to get to
safety and some tried to get to a phone line to call their loved ones. However,
the broadcast was only a dramatization radio program of H.G. Welles’ novel, “The
War of the Worlds.” Orson Welles and his fellow members of the Mercury Theatre
on of the Air acted out a Martian invasion that took place in the New York City
area.
The
New York Times
On Nov. 1, 1938, The New York Times ran two different
articles on the event, one of which was on page 1. That article informed
readers about how the Federal Communications Commission was demanding not only
a written transcript of the broadcast, but also a recording of the broadcast
however CBS had not given them an answer yet on whether or not the FCC could
have the transcript and the recording. This article jumped to page 26. The
other article, which appeared on page 26, was about the script of the broadcast
and included some excerpts. The Times reported that New York was sent into
total chaos when the broadcast aired because the “invasion” took place in New
York.
The Daily News article that ran on page 1 on Oct. 31,
1938, was all about what happened the night before, the reactions of the
thousands of people who heard the broadcast who ran out of their houses with
towels over their faces to protect themselves from getting hit, specifically
some hospitals, police stations, fire departments and shop owners reactions in
New York and how all this happened. This previous sentence is pretty long; read
it aloud and see if you can divide it into two or more sentences for the sake
of your readers. The Daily News broke down the events that happened across the
United States between 8 and 9 p.m. in New York. The Daily News also offered some
insight into what happened on the West Coast, such as people calling newspapers
and police stations asking what they should do.
 |
Daily News/ Front Page
The front page of the Daily News on October 31, 1938, the day after the broadcast.
|
The
Dallas Morning News
The Dallas
Morning News also covered “The War of the Worlds” broadcast in its Nov. 1, 1938,
edition. The newspaper reported that the idea of increasing federal control
over the radio was being discussed [by whom?] as a result of the chaos that the
broadcast reportedly caused. The article also included opinions from various
sources, including Orson Welles, who said he was stunned by the reaction of the
nation regarding his broadcast, which was a part of his radio program. The
Dallas Morning News ran the story on Page 1 and Page 6.
Conclusion
Although the event affected the whole nation in one way
or the other, newspapers covered what they thought was most important. In New
York, newspapers were more detailed and emotional because the broadcast hit
close to home; however, in Dallas, the event was covered based on facts and
opinions of mainly local citizens.
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