MEDIA P1 CSP - War of the worlds

Question 1

When was WOTW broadcasted?

Answer 1

WOTW was broadcasted on halloween night in 1938

Question 2

Who narrates WOTW??

Answer 2

Orson Welles narrated WOTW

Question 3

What was the narrative depicted in the broadcast and what effect did it have?

Answer 3

The radio drama depiced a martian invasion of earth, but the broadcast allegedly provoked widespread panic because many listeners thought the attack was real

Question 4

How did Americans find out what was happening in europe at the time?

Answer 4

At the time Americans would find out what was happening in Europe via the radio, WOTW was structured like a real news report, and many Americans were on edge of Germans invading at the time

Question 5

What genres and conventions does WOTW mix together?

Answer 5

WOTW mixes science fiction with the conventions of radio broadcasts to create a narrative which may have made some listeners believe the reports were true

Question 6

What is the plot of WOTW?

Answer 6

The plot starts with alien machines landing on earth and obliterating all human resistance with their heat rays.

The first part of the play concludes with a live report from a manhattan rooftop detailing their invasion of New York City.

After the intermission, the story shifts to a long monologue describing the aftermath of the war, and at the end humanity is saved

Question 7

How did the broadcast use the normal format of radio programming?

Answer 7

The fictional narrative was presented within the format of normal evening of radio programming, with orchestral music playing and then suddenly a special bulletin interrupts the music

Question 8

What did the new york times repot about the results of the broadcast?

Answer 8

The New York Times reported ’a wave of mass hysteria seized thousands of radio listeners’ with some adults requiring ’medical treatment for shock and hysteria’

Question 9

What company was WOTW aired on and what was this company known for?

Answer 9

WOTW was aired by CBS, which was one of only two national broadcasters who were trusted by millions of listeners every day to deliver reliable news.

CBS also frequently interrupted scheduled programmes to inform listeners of the latest updates from Europe, adding to the realism of WOTW

Question 10

What two factors may have engaged previous fans of the narrative?

Answer 10

Orson welles involvement would bring in fans of his previous work

Basing the product on an existing book may have engaged fans of the HG wells novel

Question 11

What were some factors that contributed to the realism of the broadcast?

Answer 11

• Diagetic sound effects such as the crash of a microphone, police sirens, dead silence, the use of panicked voices
• real locations such as New York being used
• No advert breaks in the first half helped manipulate many listeners into believing it was real, as this was unconventional for a radio broadcast

Question 12

What is a statistic that suggests the listeners of the broadcast were scared?

Answer 12

Over 2,000 phone calls were made to the local police within 2 hours of the broadcast suggesting that many listeners were scared

Question 13

What is an external factor that contributed to fear being spread further?

Answer 13

A power cut preventing other listeners from making calls or listening to more radio, further resulted in fear being spread even more

Question 14

What were the newspapers respone to the radio broadcast?

Answer 14

Newspapers really emphasised and exaggerated the effects of the radio broadcast

Question 15

Why did newspapers exaggerate the negative effects of the radio broadcast?

Answer 15

It is likely that newspapers exaggerated the negative effects on audiences as radio was newspapers’ main competition

Question 16

What was a misconception of the narrative?

Answer 16

Some audiences misinterpreted the play and were convinced the reports of an attack were about a German invasion

Question 17

Why did some listeners who were listening to a different show to begin with, more scared?

Answer 17

Some listeners missed the mentions of it being a fictional radio drama as they had been listening to a show on a competing radio station just prior

Question 18

Why did the historical context impact listeners ability to check if the narrative was real?

Answer 18

The historical context meant there was no way for listeners to check if the news was real as there was no internet etc

Question 19

How can barthes theory be applied to WOTW?

Answer 19

There are clear hermeneutic codes through the arrival of the martians, since the sudden breaking news cut in the radio, random moments of silence, people screaming.

The viewers were uncertain about what all this meant, creating mystery. The fact that people thought it was germans invading shows the extent of the mystery aspect of the broadcast

Question 20

How can Neales theory be applied to WOTW?

Answer 20

Follows a clear sci-fi genre through repeated genre conventions, the use of heat rays, descriptions of burning cities and poisoned air, sounds effects of sirens, explosions, silence helps build up tension and immerse the audience

Question 21

How can strauss ‘theory be applied to WOTW?

Answer 21

There is binary opposition between reality and fiction. The realistic news bulletin format blurs the line between truth and story.

The statement at the beginning of the broadcast stating it is a story contrasts to the use of ‘we interrupt this program…’ as it mimics actual breaking news

Question 22

How can Baudrillards theory be applied to WOTW?

Answer 22

The broadcast was designed to sound like live news, with urgent bulletins, reporters with real names, real cities.

Many listeners believed it was actually happening, creating hyperreality as they could not tell the story was fake.

Question 23

How can Todorovs theory be applied to WOTW?

Answer 23

The equilibrium is the broadcast opening with calm orchestral music which was typical for radio shows at the time, disruption is the news bulletin which interrupts the music to report the unusual martian invasion, the new equilibrium is the martians dying out and humans becoming safe.

‘The martians were slain by the putrefactive and disease bacteria which they systems were unprepared’

Question 24

How can Propps theory be applied to WOTW?

Answer 24

Hero is the narrator, Villain is martians, donor is earths nature and bacteria, dispatcher are the scientists, helper is the radio

Question 25

How can Halls representation theory be applied to WOTW?

Answer 25

The stereotype of foreigners or invaders being represented as violent and destructive in the media is represented, the martians are portrayed as alien invaders that threaten human survivial, reinforcing the stereotype regarding racial and cultural differences. ‘The martians are a race of intelligent creatures... Their machines are beyond human understanding’ shows that the martians attack is a threat to american life and national identity – dominant ideology of patriotism and nationalism

Question 26

How can Gauntletts theory be applied to WOTW?

Answer 26

WOTW played a major role in shaping the collective identity of Americans at the time, since the martians were represented as foreign invaders, which became an external threat, and constructed a collective of identity around the protection of the nation. ‘We must not fight for the survival of our country’

Question 27

How can Butlers theory be applied to WOTW?

Answer 27

The scientists, military personnel all perform traditional masculine roles as protectors, leaders, and defenders. This aligns with societal norms of masculinity where men are expected to be strong and in control of difficult situations. ‘We are doing everything in our power to stop the martians’ shows the performed act of reassurance and reinforces the masculine role of power

Question 28

How can Van zoonens theory be applied to WOTW?

Answer 28

In WOTW there is a noticeable abscence of female characters in positions of authority and leadership, the key roles are played by male figures such as the military offers, scientists, and news announcers. This reinforces the idea that males are seen in active positions in the media and not females

Question 29

How can Gilroys theory be applied to WOTW?

Answer 29

The humans in WOTW are placed in the role of the colonized, helpless and under threat from the martian invaders. Their reactions to the invasion include panic and confusion which reflects the powerlessness of colonized peoples who were overrun by more powerful colonizing forces. ‘Theres nothing we can do. The martians are too powerful. We’re retreating. We’re helpless’

Question 30

How can Gerbners theory be applied to WOTW?

Answer 30

The broadcast was presented in a way that made it seem like a real time news event, which cultivated a sense of believability among listeners. Therefore, cultivating their views and making them scared.

Question 31

How can Banduras theory be applied to WOTW?

Answer 31

The realistic presentation of the martian invasion taught the audience how to respond to a crisis situation. Many of the audience saw everyone else reacting in a scared manner, which made other people act in the same way with fear and panic. Some people reportedly suffered heart attacks, mental illness, and even harmed themselves

Question 32

How can Shirkys theory be applied to WOTW?

Answer 32

The audience respone was actively shaped by the signifiance of the event. The listeners did not simply sit passively listening, they reacted and engaged directly with the broadcasts content by spreading word of mouth and debating its authenticity. The fact that there was no technology such as social media available to spread to information or ask people questions, shows that audiences were able to be active before technology.

Question 33

How can Halls reception theory be applied to WOTW?

Answer 33

Dominant reading – for the listeners to enjoy the story and narrative of the broadcast and appreciate the realism of the sci-fi genre. Negotiated reading – audiences enjoy the story however they begin to see the respone of fear and panic and question the broadcasts intentions. Oppositional reading – the viewers completely dont understand that the broadcast is just a fictional story and they think its real, some even thought it was a german invasion

Question 34

How can Curran and seatons theory be applied to WOTW?

Answer 34

The profit driven motive of CBS and Orson Welles’ tema was likely a driving factor behind the sensationalism of the WOTW broadcast, since it was designed to captivate the audience and keep them engaged, leading to increased revenues. CBS was a large conglomerate which allowed them to broadcast the millions of listeners

Question 35

How can Livingstone and lunts theory be applied to WOTW?

Answer 35

The terror that was spread across the country demonstrates the potential consequences of unregulated content. The broadcast was designed to entertain and engage audiences, but it resulted in massive panic, the broadcast may have struggled to balance citizen and consumer-based regulation

Question 36

How can Hesmondhalghs theory be applied to WOTW?

Answer 36

The broadcast minimised risk by following sci-fi genre conventions such as aliens invading earth and diagetic sounds like sirens and screaming, may have been done to maximise profit. However the broadcast is arguably high risk due to the potential outcome that could have been expected to have on the listeners.