War of the Worlds radio broadcast

Orson Welles radio broadcast, War of the Worlds, was met with such shock and panic that the next day he had to make a public apology. The fact that Welles used the radio to produce his show aided in the panic that it ensued. The listeners had to use their imagination directed by the very detailed voices of the actors. As far as the listeners knew the show was just a news broadcast. This idea came from the fact that the show began as informative news about new discoveries on Mars and Earth as well. However, not far into the show disaster occurred. The staged disaster was so convincing that people really thought the world was ending and aliens were attacking. Suddenly the news broadcast was interrupted by descriptions of seemingly unplanned events that even the news announcer had trouble explaining. This was also intertwined with screaming by the crowds surrounding the "events." The absence of video for real proof of the situations occurring made it all the more possible for the events to be true. For all the listeners knew just outside their doorstep could be a meteor holding an alien planning to destroy their livelihood. The incredibly detailed descriptions that went along with the horror made it seem all the more real. In today's modern society, or even after the introduction of the television, such a show would not be able to strike such a widespread fear in viewers. With video people began to use less and less of their imagination to interact with shows. This was not true for the radio era. The people's active imaginations is what really stirred the terror in reaction to Welles broadcast. Such an event would not be possible to produce any more. Welles' broadcast was really a pivotal moment in technological history.