Washington Post publishes op-ed by Socolow on ‘War of the Worlds’ broadcast
The Washington Post published an opinion piece co-written by Michael Socolow, an associate professor of communication and journalism at the University of Maine, about Orson Welles’ “War of the Worlds” broadcast. The piece, titled “Unraveling the myth of ‘War of the Worlds,’” challenged long-held conceptions that the broadcast caused mass panic and hysteria, arguing that fewer than 50 people nationwide actually fled their homes and that some of them could have been prompted by telephone calls from friends and family rather than by the broadcast itself. The piece discussed the broadcast’s role in spreading racial and gendered stereotypes, as well as the broader context of fake news and its role in the historical record. Deutsche Welle interviewed Socolow about the piece.