As mentioned in my earlier post, while listening to this radio broadcast "The War of the Worlds", radio listeners thought it to be real, that the world was actually under invasion by martians. A widespread panic spread in response to this.
Today of course, at radio listener would not take this seriously because of how much garbage is put out on the air and online. We are taught today to question everything. But those back in 1938 had no reason to NOT believe this broadcast that was done to professionally and seriously. The show includes "interviews" with astronomers, witnesses like Mr. Wilman, real facts about the distance from earth to mars, and detailed descriptions about what was happening to the earth - like the size of meteorites, what the gas is going to do etc.
I noticed how music was played in intervals between the broadcasts. It made it feel strange to me because if it really were a broadcast about the end of our world, I don't think they would have played music, or been as calm for that matter.
Go to 15:25-16:40 and listen to the yelling in the background as the radio announcer pretends to spot something horrendous as large as a bear with black eyes and a saliva-dripping mouth. The frightened people yelling in the background do sound convincing and natural. Then the radio announcer says he will be right back and it stops, like something happened. He even says the police have arrived, which also makes it sound convincing.
I don't think the people who panicked after listening to this were stupid for believing it. I still fall for things on the radio today and I know better. They didn't- so why shouldn't they have? I think the radio broadcast, even though it was described after by the media as cruel, was well done and set up well to be a great show that was never appreciated as a "show", but a trick.
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