If anyone listened to the unedited broadcast it is easier to understand why people got sucked in. It wasn't just an imaginary concert but there was also commercials. As many people tuned in late they would have failed to grasp the significance of a ten minute drive spanning only two minutes. This play was very well done.
Much as I admire Orson Welles and think his broadcast was a great concept for its day, the fact is that the real hoax is not the broadcast itself, but all the exaggerated and nonsensical stories that are now told about it. The fact is VERY FEW people, even in 1938, took it for real and the notion that thousands, in panic, clogged the roads trying to flee for the hills, is pure fiction. At most, a handful of gullible people rang the station asking if it was an authentic news report, and there were one or two people who did crazy things. End of story. I say this having read many articles about the event, and having seen numerous documentaries about it. For the record, the first radio broadcast to fool a few gullible people was in England, in 1926, when the wit (and Catholic priest) Ronald Knox, in a programme of comedy and satire, had an item about a revolution taking place in London and a mad mob demolishing Big Ben. This was at a time when Britain was jittery about the General Strike, but again, even in radio's infancy, only a few gullible people mistook this for an authentic news report. Don't believe the hype about antiquated hype.
In 1968 and 1971 a radio station in Buffalo did the same thing used current news with stories with Martians invading the earth. Also what they did was the station told everybody that would listen and tell them that this was a RADIO PLAY and made commercials saying what they were going to do but people still fell for the trick on radio so I bet they can do it today and fool a majority of people if they play it the right way
Much as I admire Orson Welles and think his broadcast was a great concept for its day, the fact is that the real hoax is not the broadcast itself, but all the exaggerated and nonsensical stories that are now told about it. The fact is VERY FEW people, even in 1938, took it for real and the notion that thousands, in panic, clogged the roads trying to flee for the hills, is pure fiction. At most, a handful of gullible people rang the station asking if it was an authentic news report, and there were one or two people who did crazy things. End of story. I say this having read many articles about the event, and having seen numerous documentaries about it. For the record, the first radio broadcast to fool a few gullible people was in England, in 1926, when the wit (and Catholic priest) Ronald Knox, in a programme of comedy and satire, had an item about a revolution taking place in London and a mad mob demolishing Big Ben. This was at a time when Britain was jittery about the General Strike, but again, even in radio's infancy, only a few gullible people mistook this for an authentic news report. Don't believe the hype about antiquated hype.
Much as I admire Orson Welles and think his broadcast was a great concept for its day, the fact is that the real hoax is not the broadcast itself, but all the exaggerated and nonsensical stories that are now told about it. The fact is VERY FEW people, even in 1938, took it for real and the notion that thousands, in panic, clogged the roads trying to flee for the hills, is pure fiction. At most, a handful of gullible people rang the station asking if it was an authentic news report, and there were one or two people who did crazy things. End of story. I say this having read many articles about the event, and having seen numerous documentaries about it. For the record, the first radio broadcast to fool a few gullible people was in England, in 1926, when the wit (and Catholic priest) Ronald Knox, in a programme of comedy and satire, had an item about a revolution taking place in London and a mad mob demolishing Big Ben. This was at a time when Britain was jittery about the General Strike, but again, even in radio's infancy, only a few gullible people mistook this for an authentic news report. Don't believe the hype about antiquated hype.
If anyone listened to the unedited broadcast it is easier to understand why people got sucked in. It wasn't just an imaginary concert but there was also commercials. As many people tuned in late they would have failed to grasp the significance of a ten minute drive spanning only two minutes. This play was very well done.
I've heard this broadcast more than it dozen times it ends the same way every time
Much as I admire Orson Welles and think his broadcast was a great
concept for its day, the fact is that the real hoax is not the broadcast
itself, but all the exaggerated and nonsensical stories that are now
told about it. The fact is VERY FEW people, even in 1938, took it for
real and the notion that thousands, in panic, clogged the roads trying
to flee for the hills, is pure fiction. At most, a handful of gullible
people rang the station asking if it was an authentic news report, and
there were one or two people who did crazy things. End of story. I say
this having read many articles about the event, and having seen numerous
documentaries about it. For the record, the first radio broadcast to
fool a few gullible people was in England, in 1926, when the wit (and
Catholic priest) Ronald Knox, in a programme of comedy and satire, had
an item about a revolution taking place in London and a mad mob
demolishing Big Ben. This was at a time when Britain was jittery about
the General Strike, but again, even in radio's infancy, only a few
gullible people mistook this for an authentic news report. Don't believe
the hype about antiquated hype.
In 1968 and 1971 a radio station in Buffalo did the same thing used current news with stories with Martians invading the earth. Also what they did was the station told everybody that would listen and tell them that this was a RADIO PLAY and made commercials saying what they were going to do but people still fell for the trick on radio so I bet they can do it today and fool a majority of people if they play it the right way
Much as I admire Orson Welles and think his broadcast was a great
concept for its day, the fact is that the real hoax is not the broadcast
itself, but all the exaggerated and nonsensical stories that are now
told about it. The fact is VERY FEW people, even in 1938, took it for
real and the notion that thousands, in panic, clogged the roads trying
to flee for the hills, is pure fiction. At most, a handful of gullible
people rang the station asking if it was an authentic news report, and
there were one or two people who did crazy things. End of story. I say
this having read many articles about the event, and having seen numerous
documentaries about it. For the record, the first radio broadcast to
fool a few gullible people was in England, in 1926, when the wit (and
Catholic priest) Ronald Knox, in a programme of comedy and satire, had
an item about a revolution taking place in London and a mad mob
demolishing Big Ben. This was at a time when Britain was jittery about
the General Strike, but again, even in radio's infancy, only a few
gullible people mistook this for an authentic news report. Don't believe
the hype about antiquated hype.
Much as I admire Orson Welles and think his broadcast was a great
concept for its day, the fact is that the real hoax is not the broadcast
itself, but all the exaggerated and nonsensical stories that are now
told about it. The fact is VERY FEW people, even in 1938, took it for
real and the notion that thousands, in panic, clogged the roads trying
to flee for the hills, is pure fiction. At most, a handful of gullible
people rang the station asking if it was an authentic news report, and
there were one or two people who did crazy things. End of story. I say
this having read many articles about the event, and having seen numerous
documentaries about it. For the record, the first radio broadcast to
fool a few gullible people was in England, in 1926, when the wit (and
Catholic priest) Ronald Knox, in a programme of comedy and satire, had
an item about a revolution taking place in London and a mad mob
demolishing Big Ben. This was at a time when Britain was jittery about
the General Strike, but again, even in radio's infancy, only a few
gullible people mistook this for an authentic news report. Don't believe
the hype about antiquated hype.