Radio was an established technology at the outset of WWII but it had yet to be exploited to its full potential until this conflict. Leaders of many nations recognized the communication benefits of radio. It could be broadcast deep into enemy lines without the risk of casualties. Commanders could communicate important movements and developments to generals in real time. Radio technology was relatively cheap and easy to transport. But its use in disseminating propaganda is where it arguably had the biggest impact upon the course of the war. |
Radio was used to transmit political speeches into the homes of citizens. It brought news of the war home and abroad. It carried radio shows that vilified the enemy and glorified the allies. There was ‘white propaganda’ that made no efforts to hide their political affiliations. This is often in the form of standard government announcements and reports. One infamous white propagandist was dubbed “Axis Sally”. She would play American jazz favorites and insinuate that the fighting men’s wives and girlfriends were being unfaithful at home. Everyone could recognize it as propaganda but its real effect on morale is difficult to calculate. ‘Black propaganda’ is that which posed as broadcasts from the enemy or allies and was more ambiguous. Radio Deutschland, for example, was a British radio station that broadcast in German on a station that was very close on the dial to another, real, German station. It was used to subtly disseminate disinformation.
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Radio was an ideal method of propaganda. The target audience need not be literate and could be bombarded by the message in public against their will. We all know how a catchy tune can get stuck in our brain and find ourselves humming it against our will all day. The low production cost meant that radio shows could be produced very quickly and could respond to current events faster than other forms of media at the time. Though it is difficult to measure the extent and affect that radio propaganda had on its target audiences and the course of the war, its ubiquitous use by all the major powers of WWII suggests that the leaders and planners of the time saw it as a useful tactical weapon.
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Propaganda has been utilized and studied for thousands of years. Some common techniques are used in propaganda that we can recognize if we know what to look for. Our task in this lesson will be to a) identify the techniques of propaganda being used in real WWII radio broadcasts and create a broadcast that demonstrates those techniques using a modern context, b) create a broadcast that discusses the use of radio propaganda in WWII and the modern world, and c) take part in discussion with your teachers and peers about the lesson. Continue to the next section to receive instructions and explore the resources available.
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Photo Credits:
Capra, F. (n.d.). Screenshot from “Why We Fight” [Photo]. Retrieved from https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Why_We_Fight
Artzybasheff, B. (2010). Nazi Radio Propaganda [Drawing]. Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/x-ray_delta_one/4550158818/in/album-72157622345988524/
Scott, G. (1922). New Yorkers listening to 1922 World Series by radio [Photo]. Retrieved from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:New_Yorkers_listening_to_1922_World_Series_by_radio.jpg
Collier, John Jr. (1943). The radio is the only contact with the outside world [Photo]. Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/johncollierjr/465506054/
Dubaj~commonswiki. (2006). Baujahr 1933 - Volksempfänger VE301W [Photo]. Retrieved from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ve301w.jpg#file
Capra, F. (n.d.). Screenshot from “Why We Fight” [Photo]. Retrieved from https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Why_We_Fight
Artzybasheff, B. (2010). Nazi Radio Propaganda [Drawing]. Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/x-ray_delta_one/4550158818/in/album-72157622345988524/
Scott, G. (1922). New Yorkers listening to 1922 World Series by radio [Photo]. Retrieved from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:New_Yorkers_listening_to_1922_World_Series_by_radio.jpg
Collier, John Jr. (1943). The radio is the only contact with the outside world [Photo]. Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/johncollierjr/465506054/
Dubaj~commonswiki. (2006). Baujahr 1933 - Volksempfänger VE301W [Photo]. Retrieved from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ve301w.jpg#file