ROLE OF MEDIA DURING THE FIRST WORLD WAR

The First World War was one of the first demonstrations of the power and influence of news media. This was the first major war fought due to the nationalistic fervor of the people and it was not just because of the whims of rulers. This popular desire to wage war and gain glory was mostly the result of the growing influences of the newspapers. Though television was not yet invented and radio was in its infancy, newspapers and magazines were widely read and shaped public opinion. By their reporting of news and their analysis of the global situation they played a major part in convincing the public to go to war. And later by their coverage of the events of the war and heroism of the soldiers convinced the people to continue to fight it to a favorable conclusion. The leading newspapers of England such as The London Times, The Guardian, The Morning Post and The Telegraph, American newspapers such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, and the Indian newspaper The Times of India etc. sent war correspondents to the battle fronts in order to report the events on a day-to-day basis. These war correspondents did a commendable job in sending dispatches from the fronts about the progress of the war, the casualties and damages caused, about the plight of the soldiers and the civilians. Reuters was the most prominent news agency which gave regular updates on the war. The First World War saw the beginnings of several types of media, which were to rise in prominence in the future. For instance the war propaganda by means of dropping leaflets to soldiers and civilians from the air started in the First World War mainly because this was the first major war where air planes were used on a large scale. Other types on media including plays such as Opera, which were very popular at that time also played a significant role in influencing public sentiments. Later many films were made on the war theme. Thus the First World War saw the emergence of several media and the rise in the prominence of others and particularly showcased the newfound importance and influence of the news media.