#Orson December 18
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Throughout December 2024, several of us are taking part in the 30-Day PPT Coach4aday Challenge. PPT is an acronym for People Places or Things. Each day we share our insights, thoughts, or memories about a person (living or dead), a place (we have visited or learned about) or a thing that intrigues us. Today I’m featuring a man named ORSON.
There have been lots of time dedicated in the news the last month of 2024 about drone sightings. In 1938 a man with a very creative mind sent the nation into a mass panic about what he said dropped out of the sky near Grovers Mill NJ.
That man was Orson Welles and his radio broadcast of “War of the Worlds” on October 30, 1938, caused our country and especially the State of New Jersey to lose its mind according to newspapers.
People, Places, & Things 30-Day Challenge Guidelines
Like previous challenges there are no hard and fast rules to participate. There are a few suggested guidelines
- Each day in December 2024 write about a Person, Place or Thing-PPT
- Share at least one fact, memory, or quality about your subject choice.
- If so inclined use the hash tag #Coach4adayChallenge on social media platforms
December 18th-Orson
One thing citizens might want to recognize is that we, as consumers, don’t choose what news outlets decide to headline. In 1938, U.S. newspapers were not thrilled about the competition radio posed for advertising dollars. Their headlines and stories painted a picture of widespread terror and panic caused by the infamous “War of the Worlds” radio broadcast. But was the reality that most Americans went to bed that night unaware of the broadcast, only learning about it from the papers the next day?
NPR in 2013 did an article on the 75th anniversary of the broadcast of “War of the Worlds” and posed an important question. Did the broadcast cause a nationwide panic or did newspapers choose to profile radio as reckless with what they put on the air? The data on how many listeners there actually was makes one pause.
Maybe the same thing can be said in 2024 with coverage of drones. It is accepted that 21st century news outlets utilize audience interest, competitive pressures, and maybe even newsworthiness to allocate time to a story. Time will probably tell how newsworthy drone sighting stories really are.
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