THE COLD WAR Cold War Origins & Early Strategy

Cold War Origins & Early Strategy

Work Cited

• Stafford, Alexander. "The Role of the Media During the Cold War." EInternational Relations. Queen’s University of Belfast, Mar. 2013. Web. 06 Jan. 2015. <http://www.e-ir.info/2013/10/26/the-role-of-the-media-during-the-cold-war/>.

• Bernhard, N. (1999) ‘U.S Television News and Cold War Propaganda, 1947-1960’. Cambridge: The Press Syndicate of the University of Cambridge.

• Carruthers, Susan L. (2011) ‘Total War’. (2nd edition) Houndmills: Palgrave

• Chisem, J. (2012) ‘U.S Propaganda and the Cultural Cold War’ [website] Available from: http://www.e-ir.info/2012/08/16/u-s-propaganda-and-the-cultural-cold-war/. Accessed: 12/03/2013

• Doherty,T (2003) ‘Cold War, Cool Medium: Television, McCarthyism, and American Culture’ New York: Columbia University Press

• Mikkonen, S. (2010) ‘Kritika: Explorations in Russian and Eurasian History’. New York: Slavica Publishers.

• Slaughter, A. (2012) ‘The Media Cold War’. [website] Available from: http://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/the-media-cold-war-by-anne-marie-slaughter. Accessed: 14/03/2013

• Urban,G. (1997) ‘Radio Free Europe and the Pursuit of Democracy: My War Within the Cold War’. New York: Vail-Ballou Press.

Media's Purpose

Topic Question

The initial role the media took was to motivate the post-WW2 populace into reaffirming and defending their national political and economic allegiances. While the private-owned Western media was obliging in the defense of Western economic and military interests, the state-censored soviet media was just as ready to defend theirs. All media succeeded in the production of public support for their government’s actions against the foreign enemy.

To what extent did the US media have an effect on the general public's opinion of the Soviet Union? 1945-1950

Different Approaches of the Media in USA

The Red Scare:

“The Red Scare” campaigns of the Western media were presented on every applicable media source. The use of print with easily de-codable and emotive images helped to redefine national identity as a virtuous and patriotic America, against a dangerous and destructive socialist east. The media distributed extreme propagandist slogans such as “Better Dead than Red!” This type of politicized propaganda served to cause hysteria over communism and nuclear war

Red Nightmare:

The media extended the propaganda to every aspect of western life, from radio, film, television and print to even schools. The film “Red Nightmare” was taught as part of the standard curriculum and is evidence of the media providing state-sanctioned indoctrination of the populace. This act of media manipulation to create mass fear and paranoia cannot be undervalued, it was the conscious effort of the powerful to marginalize unpopular opinion and spread the dominate agenda. It also assisted in the solidification and polarization of cultural differences and reinforced political ideology.

Effects of the Media on the Public

Conclusion

When the media changed to an increasingly watchdog position of reporting, some of the antagonism that it had produced against the Soviet Union became directed at the national government. In all, the media was the Cold War’s protagonist in cultivating and maintaining antagonism within the bipolar divide. It achieved this with sensational reporting, and exploitation of cultural divides, the maintenance of societal fear on the American public and the production of propaganda. It’s most explicit and direct contribution to Cold War antagonism was the production of a subversive communication strategy with the enemy’s populace.

• The media played a central role in the production and maintenance of antagonism between both sides of the conflict.
• The media produced virtuous national identities to legitimize themselves and denounce their enemies.
• Sensational propaganda and politicized reporting developed a societal fear of imminent destruction and severe paranoia among the public.

By: Mauiricio Scott