#129 Orson Welles' War of the Worlds and a 1930s BBC Ghost Story

The 1938 *War of the Worlds* radio broadcast by Orson Welles serves as a pivotal case study for the evolution of media manipulation and the origins of "fake news." Dr. A. Brad Schwartz highlights that the broadcast was not a widespread panic, but rather a reflection of deep-seated anxieties regarding electronic media's power to destabilize democracy on the eve of World War II. Unlike the state-regulated BBC, the American private broadcasting system lacked rigorous oversight, enabling Welles to push creative boundaries. Beyond this historical analysis, the episode unearths a rare ghost story from early BBC announcer Uncle Ajax, detailing a supernatural encounter within the network's 1930s studios at Big Tree Wharf. These narratives collectively illustrate the profound influence of radio on public perception and the enduring tension between entertainment and truth in broadcast history.