How did radio and movies change people ideas and how were they used for spreading propaganda - Essay Example

Radio and Movies This paper is an attempt to examine the impact of radio and movies on the lives of people in west with historical evidence. One of the most memorable uses of radio took place while the sinking of titanic in the year 1912 when the operators on the ship were trying to communicate with the nearby vessels and with the shore stations. Radio affected and changed the minds and lives of the people during the great depression when people had alienated themselves with the government and economy.

That was the time when radio came on the scene and brought people back together. Furthermore, after the World War I, many labor unions were able to get their rights and worked for around 8 hours a day. They use to spend their leisure time listening to radio with their families. Radio deserves the credit for initiating the irreversible process of globalization and bringing the west together (Pease & Dennis, pp. 87-89). However, there are various events where radio was used to spread propaganda and false news.

This happened during the Second World War when the prime mode of communication was Radio. Furthermore, radio also created a sense of false reality in the hearts and minds of the American people and made them close-minded, ignorant, and disillusioned. People use to remain the in state of denial and that is what made it so difficult for the American people to accept the great depression of 1930s (Vowell, pp. 45-51). Without any doubts, movies, along with many other forms of media have played a crucial role in changing the mindset of people in the west.

An expert once said, “What was wrong yesterday has become acceptable today and what has become acceptable today would become right tomorrow” (Ross, pp. 23-39). We are living in a society where people are tolerating many things, which were banned a few decades back. Surely, this is how societies evolve but without any doubts, movies have played a great role in this evolution. Through Star wars and other such movies, it has made people to believe that there is life outside this planet. Through 2012 and other movies focusing on the end of the world, many people today are fearful of December 21, 2012 (Ross, pp. 198-199). Works Cited Pease, Edward C.

, & Dennis, Everette E. Radio: the forgotten medium. Transaction Publishers, 1995. Ross, Steven J. Movies and American society. Blackwell Pub., 2002. Vowell, Sarah. Radio on: a listener's diary. St. Martin's Griffin, 1997.