The War of the Worlds
Radio Broadcast
This example was recommended by Arthur Wohlwill.
The hoax worked, historians say, because the broadcast authentically simulated how radio worked in an emergency.
—Stefan Lovgen
On 30 October 1938, the Mercury Theatre on the Air, under the direction of Orson Welles performed an adaptation of H.G. Wells' The War of the Worlds.
The radio play was written to mimic a breaking news story and many listening reacted as if it were real news.
Although Welles' version of The War of the Worlds was presented as fiction, it is worth studying as a fake news story because the techniques that made people believe they were hearing real news are the same types of techniques being used by purveyors of fake news today.
Suggestions for Further Reading
Lovgen, Stefan. "'War of the Worlds': Behind the 1938 Radio Show Panic." National Geographic News. 17 June 2005.
Sanes, Ken. "War of the Worlds, Orson Welles, And The Invasion from Mars." Transparency.
Schwartz, A. Brad. "The Infamous 'War of the Worlds' Radio Broadcast Was a Magnificent Fluke." Smithsonian. 6 May 2015.
