War of the Worlds: Blog tasks

1) What is the history and narrative behind War of the Worlds?
Story of an alien invasion and measures the conflict between man kinds and extra-
terrestrial race from mars

2) When was its first broadcast and what is the popular myth regarding the reaction from the audience?
Broadcast live on 30th October 1938, Claimed that thousands of new yorkers fled from their houses (and other Americans) to witness the real space battle. 

3) How did the New York Times report the reaction the next day?
The New Times report claimed how it was written to accurately and people to it as a fact.

4) How did author Brad Schwartz describe the broadcast and its reaction?
He believed it wasn't a myth and states it was history first-time media phenomenal and shows how realistic news media can be and make us fear things

5) Why did Orson Welles use hybrid genres and pastiche and what effect might it have had on the audience?
He mixed both storytelling conventions with news convention which blurred the line between fact and fiction which therefore caused such a reaction from the audience.

6) How did world events in 1938 affect the way audiences interpreted the show?

7) Which company broadcast War of the Worlds in 1938?
CBS radio network

8) Why might the newspaper industry have deliberately exaggerated the response to the broadcast?
They deliberately exaggerated the response like claiming radio had "not mastered itself" and had "adult responsibility" so people wouldn't use the radio for their news source and make newspaper have less profit.

9) Does War of the Worlds provide evidence to support the Frankfurt School's Hypodermic Needle theory?
Yes to some extent because it makes people seem as if they are passive and did not question the radio article whatsoever.

10) How might Gerbner's cultivation theory be applied to the broadcast?
His theory could show how long term viewing could affect the audience therefore the audience was familiar with the frequent interruption from the radio show over the weeks leading to the war of worlds.

11) Applying Hall's Reception Theory, what could be the preferred and oppositional readings of the original broadcast?
Preferred
Oppositional
Find it interesting and enterntaining
Causing a mass panic in the public

12) Do media products still retain the ability to fool audiences as it is suggested War of the Worlds did in 1938? Has the digital media landscape changed this?
No, it more unlikely the media would be fooled by the war of the worlds because there is now more media products and it easier to see what's true and false with them.

Analysis and opinion

1) Why do you think the 1938 broadcast of War of the Worlds has become such a significant moment in media history?
It gained a lot of a attention from the public

2) War of the Worlds feels like a 1938 version of 'fake news'. But which is the greater example of fake news - Orson Welles's use of radio conventions to create realism or the newspapers exaggerating the audience reaction to discredit radio?

The newspapers because they were made to be read as a fact and source information provided for the audience however it still contained false news for their own benefit whereas Orson Welles's use of radio convention may have just been misinterpreted with the 1938's audience

3) Do you agree with the Frankfurt School's Hypodermic Needle theory? If not, was there a point in history audiences were more susceptible to believing anything they saw or heard in the media?

I don't agree with the needle theory because it would mean the audience are passive and have no say or choice on how they take on the media however I believe there was a point in history where the audience was more passive towards the media like 1938 when many took what saw or heard in the media as a fact.

4) Has the digital media age made the Hypodermic Needle model more or less relevant? Why?

Less relevant especially now the amount of media provided is much more than the pass and the audience have been more suited with the conventions and now whether to agree with it or not. There is still a gradual effect however it is not as obvious ad the needle theory claims it is.

5) Do you agree with George Gerbner's Cultivation theory - that suggests exposure to the media has a gradual but significant effect on the person views and beliefs? Give examples to support your argument.

Definitely, being exposed to the media does have a signified effect on the audience;'s mind and belief and cause it to change and mould to what they view. For example, people who frequently watch the news are more likely to get the mean world syndrome and see the world has much more evil then it really and this could affect their life a lot.

6) Is Gerbner's Cultivation theory more or less valid today than it would have been in 1938? Why?

I think it may be less valid in 1938 because there was no much technology at that time so usually people didn't have access to media as much, therefore, it was less likely to have a significant effect because it was consistent.