Radio and Newscasts

Radio is a powerful means of communication. It has the ability to reach across the globe and can convey messages to any country in the world. When these qualities are combined, it becomes clear that radio will remain an indispensable member of international communication technology. As such, radio has historically played a vital role in the dissemination of information in the 20th century. One of the foremost examples of this is American radio coverage from the European Theater during World War II.

Ironically, it was the Nazi regime that first made radio almost mandatory within its political framework (Hale 1). Of course, the basis for Nazi use of the radio was primarily one of propaganda. However, unlike British and American broadcasting companies, they were interested in the short term effect of mass mobilization as applied to radio (Hale 5).

The unprecedented events in Europe in the 1930s acted as a magnet to most of the important American newspaper and radio journalists of the time. When Adolf Hitler annexed Austria in 1938, Leland Stowe of the New York Herald Tribune said it was "the first great news event of worldwide significance in which, for days on end and from a half dozen difference countries, radio had the whole world by the ears" (Desmond 73).

Radio was thus ready for the advent of war. NBC had marshaled its Blue Network into the American Broadcast Company and had dispatched an army of correspondents to Europe. Even at the early stages of war,

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om London throughout the war however, that brought Murrow his importance. Placing himself in considerable danger, Murrow valiantly reported the struggle of the British people in their fight against Hitlerism (Sperber). Murrow, who would later emerge as the nemesis of Senator Joseph R. McCarthy, seemed to revel in his commentaries and analysis during the London bombings (Chester). Many credit Murrow's inspiring messages as helpful in not only moralizing the British population, but bringing to America the suffering and courage of the British people. One of Murrow's most notable commentaries came in September 1940. It was during this time that London was in the midst of being bombed almost nightly. In his broadcast, "CBS After Dark," Murrow allowed his listeners to hear the screaming of the airraid sirens, and the voices of people who were forced to spend the night in bomb shelters (Desmond 135). Clearly, this was instrumental in helping to turn the tide of American isolationism to one of more sympathetic outreach. To many Americans, radio provided a way to experience the war personally. Sociologically, the radio provided companionship and entertainment. If this entertainment occasionally became more serious, then all th

Category: History - R