War of the Worlds: Orson Welles' Alien Invasion Hoax

In 1938, Orson Welles’ War of the Worlds radio broadcast stunned America. It was a defining moment in broadcast history - reports claimed it caused mass panic, with listeners believing Martians had truly invaded, and fleeing their homes in terror. But how much of that panic was real, and how much was media hype?

In this episode we're joined by A. Brad Schwartz, author of 'Broadcast Hysteria: Orson Welles's War of the Worlds and the Art of Fake News'. He helps us to separate fact from fiction, and explains what this story tells us about the power of mass media and the spread of misinformation.

Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Tim Arstall.

You can read the letters written to Orson Welles about his famous broadcast here -https://quod.lib.umich.edu/w/wow/.

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