Publicity photograph of Orson Wells released shortly after the radio broadcast
Publicity photograph of Orson Wells released shortly after the radio broadcast of War of the Worlds.
Detail map of Manhattan, New York, New York, United States Overview map of Manhattan, New York, New York, United States

A: Manhattan, New York, New York, United States

Orson Wells Induces Mass Hysteria through Radio Broadcast of "The War of the Worlds"

10/30/1938

On October 30, 1938 Orson Wells and the Mercury Theatre in New York broadcast over CBS radio H. G. Wells' 1898 novel, The War of the Worlds. The broadcast was heard by 6,000,000 people, some of whom believed that the story of the invading Martians was real. To the extent that a large number of people were deceived by the drama, this may be one of the earliest examples of mass hysteria induced by electronic media. It also was a dramatic illustration of the power of mass media to impact people's fears and feelings.

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