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The Alien Invasion Broadcast That Caused a Real-Life Panic (War of the Worlds)

The Alien Invasion Broadcast That Caused a Real-Life Panic (War of the Worlds)

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 What if the first great act of "fake news" wasn't on the internet, but came through your radio in 1938, announcing a Martian invasion? This is the story of Orson Welles' infamous "War of the Worlds" radio broadcast.

In this episode, we're dissecting the night America supposedly panicked. But did it? We'll investigate the legendary tales of mass hysteria and explore the bombshell theory: that the widespread panic was a myth, cleverly exaggerated by newspapers to discredit their new, powerful rival—radio. It was a media war hiding inside a story about a space war.

This isn't just a history lesson; it's a blueprint for understanding our chaotic modern world of misinformation. We'll explore the timeless psychology of social proof that makes us vulnerable to viral lies, then and now. How do we know what's real when the medium itself is designed to be convincing?

Stick with us to the very end, where we reveal the one journalistic trick used against Welles in 1938 that is being used on you on social media right now.

This is more than a story; it's a vital lesson in media literacy. Subscribe, share this with anyone who's ever fallen for a headline, and join the conversation about how we can all become smarter consumers of information.


Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/hoax-hunters--6723538/support.

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