Everything Vaguely Paranormal

War of the Worlds 1938: The Radio Broadcast That Terrified America

Shelly Pruitt, Ryan Roberts, and Blake Smith Season 5 Episode 219

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In 1938, a radio broadcast of The War of the Worlds blurred the line between fiction and reality, triggering one of the most infamous moments in media history. Directed by Orson Welles, the program used simulated news bulletins to portray a Martian invasion unfolding across the United States. Listeners tuning in late heard urgent reports, military responses, and escalating destruction that sounded terrifyingly real. Newspapers later claimed mass panic and nationwide hysteria, but how much of that story actually holds up under scrutiny. This episode examines the broadcast, the public reaction, and what the event reveals about fear, trust, and the power of media.

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