Question:
- What do you mean by power of media?
- What was the time mentioned in the article?
- What did the people mistake?
- What actually happened?
Answer: broadcasting media exert a great influence on the minds of the people of all walks of life. This media have the power of molding public opinion for or against issuer under question. Just as it may have aspiring aspect, so also it may have terrifying aspect. We have gone through an article with a terrifying aspect entitled ‘power of media’ in our textual lessons. It was the eve of the world war 11, October 1938. The tension of the war was hanging in the air. People were anticipating an attack from the enemy. Just then an invasion alarm was heard on the radio. It was believed to be actual news of invasion. But what actually happened was that radian adaptation of h.g wall’s novel ‘was of the worlds’ was broadcast on the radio with an air of a joke of 31st October. But many listeners missed the beginning of the programme. They mistook it for news coverage of an actual invasion of the USA. The result was terrible. Panic spread from one end of the country to other. It drove many people into frenzy. They field by car form invaded area. A number of people died as a result of accidents or by suicide. It was indeed a tragic incident.