Lecture Overheads, 2/10/03:

World War II and the Rise of Objectivity in News

Context:
Freud:
1. memory is selective
2. memories and facts must be interpreted to be made meaningful
3. challenged the idea of reason

Objectivity: counter to reporter’s subjectivity

Why did journalists become suspicious of “facts” in and after WWI?
1. Distrust of public opinion
2. rise of PR
3. wartime propaganda

Objectivity and World War II: “truth” and national interest become linked

U.S.: fighting totalitarianism and “ideology”

A Free and Responsible Press (1947), Four Theories of the Press (1956)

By the 1950s, objectivity meant:
1. reporter is free from state/government influence
2. reporter reports on agreed-upon “reality”
3. reporter exhibits no personal bias
4. reporter demonstrates a trustworthy and authoritative persona

World War II: Office of War Information (OWI)

Video: American Cinema 6: The Combat Film