cover of episode The War of the Worlds: History's Greatest Hoaxes

The War of the Worlds: History's Greatest Hoaxes

2024/10/10
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Forbidden History

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Orson Welles's radio adaptation of "The War of the Worlds" presented as a news bulletin, raising questions about the public's trust in media. The broadcast's format, utilizing the "theater of the mind," aimed to create a vivid mental image for listeners, blurring the line between reality and fiction.
  • Orson Welles's 'War of the Worlds' broadcast challenged the notion of 'hearing is believing'.
  • The broadcast aimed to create a vivid experience through sound effects and silence.
  • Newspapers' coverage amplified the hoax, highlighting the interplay between media and audience.

Shownotes Transcript

Forbidden History presents: History's Greatest Hoaxes

Orson Welles's Mercury Theater radio adaptation of the H.G. Wells novel 'The War of the Worlds' was a simulated news broadcast which convinced many Americans that an invasion by Martians was underway... Newspapers claimed that it led to a massive panic around the country, but was the original audience actually that large?

Cast List:

**Guy Walters: **A British author, historian, and journalist who has written several books on WWII. As a journalist for The Times, he writes on historical topics for the national press.

Nick Pope: UK Ministry of Defense

**Marcus Brigstocke: **Author & Comedian

Joe Nickell: Paranormal Investigator

Dr. Linda Papadopoulos: Author & Psychologist

Alex Boese: Author, The World's Greatest Hoaxes

**Clyde Lewis: Radio **Host

Chris Gaylo: Local Resident

Eric Meyers: Narrator

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