Question

Why did orson welles read the radio broadcast war of the worlds as if it were happening right that moment, rather than just reading the novel as it was written?

a. to get around the novel's copyright issues
b. to remind people that they were vulnerable to attack

Answer 1

Orson Welles broadcast 'The War of the Worlds' as live radio news reports to create a sense of immediacy and engage the audience using the powerful and direct medium of radio. By presenting the story as a real-time event, he heightened the drama and played on contemporary fears, leading to a significant public reaction.

Step-by-step explanation:

Orson Welles utilized the format of radio news reports to broadcast The War of the Worlds not just as an innovative way of storytelling, but also to engage with the audience in a medium that was growing in its capacity to provide immediate information. By 1938, radio had become a powerful tool for entertainment and news, with the ability to create a sense of immediacy and shared experience among listeners. Welles's approach was to capitalize on the authority and directness of radio news by presenting the story as if it were happening in real-time. This technique took advantage of the communal experience of radio listenership and heightened the dramatic effect of the broadcast, while also playing on the fears and imagination of the audience, which ultimately caused a widespread panic.