On October 30, 1938...

The "War of the Worlds" broadcast, which took place on October 30th, 1938, was a radio event created and directed by Orson Welles and his Mercury Theatre on the Air. This broadcast is arguably the most famous and controversial moment in the history of radio broadcasting.

The broadcast was an adaptation of H.G. Wells' classic science fiction novel, "The War of the Worlds," first published in 1898. Orson Welles and his team took the story and reimagined it as a realistic radio play, presenting it in a series of news bulletins and interviews. This format was designed to mimic the style of breaking news coverage, blurring the line between fiction and reality.

Many Americans, initially tuned into a more popular NBC program when the broadcast began, had no idea they were listening to a radio drama. Panic ensued when a reporter described a meteor strike in Grover's Mill, New Jersey, painting a vivid picture of an otherworldly threat. Listeners were on the edge of their seats as they envisioned something alien emerging from the impact site. The tension continued to mount as various reporters provided harrowing accounts of alien attacks. To further blur the line between fact and fiction, a Franklin D. Roosevelt impersonator, playing the role of the "Secretary of the Interior," issued a warning, enhancing the illusion that the nation was facing an extraterrestrial invasion. On the East Coast, people fled their homes, overwhelmed police station switchboards, and filled churches to engage in prayer vigils.

In the aftermath of the broadcast, newspapers hyped the short-lived panic sparked by the broadcast. People felt fooled, angry, and outraged by what they perceived as "fake news." Some even attempted to sue Orson Welles and his production team. This incident revealed that millions of Americans had come to trust the radio as an infallible source of information and demonstrated the power of the medium to shape perceptions, foreshadowing contemporary issues related to misinformation and the public's susceptibility to sensationalized media.

~ The Lost Battalion Dispatch