Profs & Pints: "Fake News and War of the Worlds"

Event Title & Speaker:
Profs and Pints Philadelphia presents: “Fake News and War of the Worlds,” a look at an infamous, panic-inducing Orson Welles broadcast as an early lesson on mass media’s dangers, with Daniel H. Foster, associate professor and chair of liberal arts at Johns Hopkins University’s Peabody Institute.

Event Cost & Ticket Info:
Advance tickets: $13.50 plus processing fees. Doors: $17, or $15 with a student ID. (Doors open at 3:30 pm, Talk starts at 4:30.)
To purchase tickets, go to: https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/profs-and-pints-black-squirrel/war-of-worlds

Event Description:
On the evening of October 30th, 1938, somewhere between 6 and 12 million Americans tuned in the radio version of New York City’s experimental Mercury Theater. It was a decision that some, no doubt, came to regret. What they heard was an all-male chorus of talking heads—scientists, journalists, politicians, and military experts—repeatedly telling them that New Jersey was being invaded by Martians.

The ensuing hours were terrifying ones for those who did not realize they were listening to Mercury Theater on the Air’s adaptation of the classic H.G. Wells science fiction novel War of the Worlds. The broadcast, directed by and starring Orson Welles, left many convinced that Martians were wreaking havoc on Earth and harvesting humans from the Garden State. Its masterful use of music, sound effects, and especially silence showed how radio could ignite the imagination and make listeners fear the worst.

Revisit that classic moment in media history, and learn what lessons it holds for us today, with Professor Daniel Foster, who over the years has taught the “War of the Worlds” broadcast as part of courses in radio, theater, and sound studies at several universities.

His talk will go beyond the trivia and urban legends surrounding the broadcast and focus on the broadcast itself, to reveal what really happened and why it mattered. He’ll look at the broadcast not just as a moment of public panic, but a daring work of art.

Aired during a period of rapid modern change, marked by the rise of dictators in Europe to the recent fiery destruction of the Hindenburg, the “War of the Worlds” broadcast tapped into widespread anxiety about new technologies and invading forces. Often labeled as an early case of “fake news,” it exposed deep questions about the institutions listeners trusted: education, the media, government, and the military.

To emphasize the mischief radio can bring to the world, Orson Welles, at the end of the broadcast and in person, compared the radio to a jack-o-lantern and warned us to beware this “invader of the living room.”

Answering questions about the performance, its historical context, and radio as a medium—new, blind, and global— isn’t merely an academic exercise. It can help us better understand how fake news works today and how to detect such lies before they cause irreparable harm.

About Profs & Pints:
Profs and Pints ( https://www.profsandpints.com ) brings professors and other college instructors into bars, cafes, and other venues to give fascinating talks on various topics. Lectures are structured to allow at least a half hour for questions. Admission to Profs and Pints events requires the purchase of tickets, either in advance (through the link provided in event descriptions) or at the door to the venue. Please note that your indication on Meetup of your intent to attend an event constitutes neither a reservation nor payment for that event.

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