CRITICAL THINKING AND VIEWING: THE PROPAGANDA NEWSREEL, 1942

On June 13, 1942, six months after the United States entered the Second World War, President Franklin Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9182, establishing the Office of War Information (OWI). The OWI’s key objective was to mobilize the country for all-out war. This meant controlling the information Americans received about the war effort, both on the battlefronts and on the home front. In an era long before social media and 24/7 television news, newsreels were an essential source of information and a critical means of communicating with Americans.  

This lesson introduces students to the use of propaganda in newsreels and asks them to consider the following two questions: How might a movie become a weapon of war? When might propaganda be useful in preserving democracy?

Lesson Plan
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