World War 2 and Media

The Media was the major source of information for Americans during the war. Although the media played a big role during the war, government cencorship was heavy in the 1940's.

Many Americans found comfort in the media during the war and relied heavily on radio, movies, newpapers, books and music. Many citizens used such activities as an outlet to communicate with other Americans during the war.

The radio, movies, etc. provided the U.S media with an effective means for giving war information to the public. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, also used the media to spark up his Fireside radio chats.

Throughout the war, Americans were urged to help fund production of ammunition, weapons and vehicles through television. Even famous people appeared in the commercials, pleading for people to help out.

Hollywood had a big influence on Americans during the war. The movie industry used this to its advantage and made sure that movies that were coming out portrayed war in a positive light.

Eventually, there was a government policy that recommended the occasional war message to help home front unity. Movie makers also had to factor in the question, "Will this movie help win the war?" The newspaper also played a vital role in helping Americans follow in the latest war news.

Government officials made sure that reporters emphasized American values in the papers, such as family values and American patriotism. However, the news edited out combat, to avoid unpleasant descriptions of death or soldier insanity. Many soldiers during this time did not agree, however, because they felt it distorted the truth of how war really was.

The government ignored the soldier's opinions, and kept the portrayal of war postive because they felt that it would help win the war. Also, the government was so strict about the war that the first picture of a casualty was not published until 1943 and many other visual materials were never even prohibited.

This was published by Life magazine which captured the pictured of three American soldiers lying down on the ground dead. Over thirty government agencies were involved at censoring any type of war related news, and cut down a lot of what was published about Americans.

The government sent out messages that included statements about the nations war goals and suggestions on what people could do to contribute to the war. The government also sent out reports of the progress of war. Without the media during War World 2, the citizens may have not had the right attitude to support the war efforts and to help the United States to win the war.


Government officials made sure that reporters emphasized American values in the papers, such as family values and American patriotism. However, the news edited out combat, to avoid unpleasant descriptions of death or soldier insanity. Why Would Media portray the war in a positive light? could it deal with altering peoples perception?



In response to pearl harbor President Franklin D Roosevelt issued executive order 9066, which permitted the military to circumvent the constitutional safeguards of American citizens in the name of national defense.

The order set into motion the exclusion from certain areas, and the evacuation and mass incarceration of 120,000 persons of Japanese ancestry living on the West Coast, most of who were U.S. citizens or legal permanent resident aliens.

These Japanese Americans, half of whom were children, were incarcerated for up to 4 years, without due process of law or any factual basis, in bleak, remote camps surrounded by barbed wire and armed guards. They were forced to evacuate their homes and leave their jobs; in some cases family members were separated and put into different camps.

President Roosevelt himself called the 10 facilities "concentration camps." Some Japanese Americans died in the camps due to inadequate medical care and the emotional stresses they encountered. Several were killed by military guards posted for allegedly resisting orders.

At the time, Executive Order 9066 was justified as a "military necessity" to protect against domestic espionage and sabotage.


However, it was later documented that "our government had in its possession proof that not one Japanese American, citizen or not, had engaged in espionage, not one had committed any act of sabotage. Rather, the causes for this unprecedented action in American history, according to the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians, were motivated largely by racial prejudice, wartime hysteria, and a failure of political leadership.

What Could of been the real purpose of the U.S government imprisoning the Japanese being that they proof of their innocents?