Essay - World War II and Print Media Print Media and the...

World War II and Print Media

Print Media and the Propaganda War

Freedom of the press is a b*****sic right granted by the US Constitution. The government cannot restrict the press in its right to inform ***** people ***** the United States. However, when one examines ***** role of the news media during World ***** II, it becomes evident that although the government ***** restrict ***** press, they can use it to their advantage. This study will examine the role of the print media, including war posters as a means ***** influence American impressions and support for ***** *****time effort. It will use the bombing of Pearl harbor as ***** turning point in the war.

From 1939 to 1941, ***** Axis powers retained the upper hand, with the first part ***** ***** period referred ***** as "the phony war" ***** the media. Hardly a short w*****s fired and the action was political, rather than violent. Americans knew of the conflict, but during this period it was of little concern. It was something happening far away to someone else. Americans may have seen the war as horrible, as with any war, but the full impact of ***** War II had yet ***** hit home. Some of the most memorable images from ***** time are that of Winston Churchill, who had the power to stir his ***** in***** action with his words alone.

***** June 22, 1941 ***** ***** blitzkrieg began, Americans were accustomed to images of Panzer tank columns. The *****vasion of Russia brought the war closer to home as ***** realized that Hitler did not intend to stop. However, the war was still thous*****s of miles away in *****ir m*****ds. Americans were against going to war, still shell shocked by casualties in World War I and recover*****g ***** the Great Depressions, they ***** afraid of another crisis. Many Americans did not ***** the ***** becoming involved in the efforts of France to ward *****f the invaders. This research ***** support the thesis that the American media used print materials ***** ***** the American public, and that it still employs ***** techniques used to influence the ***** today.

***** Need to Rally Support

However, the war de*****ment knew ***** American participation ***** necessary and that ***** needed to convince ***** American public to ***** the war efforts. The campaign was not successful until December 7, 1941 when Pearl Harbor brought ***** war ***** ***** home. The war was no longer distant, but ********** seemed to be a real threat in the minds of the masses. The propaganda ***** met ***** much greater success after the bombing of Pearl *****. It was now ***** ***** ***** the ***** public that war ***** close at ***** and that they ***** to begin conservation of materials for the war effort. As the war began to step up its threat, American increased its ***** to gain public support for the war ef*****ts with a flood of ***** aimed at the ***** public. This campaign included