ABSTRACT
“The Press at War: Propaganda and Persuasion in Print and Film” explains the ways the press during wars in the twentieth century sometimes spread political messages to persuade audiences with tools developed by figures associated with the creation of the public relations industry. It provides a cursory overview of the ways governments have sometimes coopted the press and media in general to work in ways that do not meet the requirements of the Fourth Estate; and it shows how the press can do more than inform—it can change public opinion. Using materials from this chapter, students should understand how governments—the U.S. and others—have manipulated messages for purposes not intended by the founders: They should understand the historic roots of propaganda. Students should recognize the need for a free press to focus on ensuring citizens receive essential information about their government. Key words, names, and phrases associated with Chapter 11 include: The Committee on Public Information (CPI, or the Creel Committee), and World War I; Triumph of the Will, Leni Riefenstahl, and World War II propaganda; “The Spanish Earth,” Ernest Hemingway, and the Spanish Civil War; and George Orwell, 1984, and Dwight D. Eisenhower’s farewell address.
