Typical themes in German Propaganda posters were anti-Semitism, a call to the labor force, support and loyalty for Hitler, paper and clothing drives, as well as special programs, such as programs to send children to the countryside for safety.
Many of the themes overlapped with American messages. However, as one examines the collection of war posters as a whole, it becomes apparent that both sides had entirely different agendas and different techniques for getting the message across. American posters were more personal and used imagery that captured the audience and pulled at their heartstrings. German posters were often unrealistic in their presentation.
The Office of War Information
There were several forms of media available during World War II. However, there were several reasons for the choice to use posters as the medium of choice for the war campaign. The first was that they were inexpensive and could be produced rapidly. There was a need to bring the urgency of the war to the home front. In 1942 the Office of War Information (OWI) launched a sophisticated distribution campaign for getting the posters where they were needed (Ellis). They became the primary center for government poster design and production. However, the demand for war posters was too high and they soon had to rely on the military, individual branches of the government and large corporations such as General Electric to help produce and distribute posters (Ellis). The Boy Scouts of America was instrumental in placing the posters on a local level (Ellis).
Eventually, the demand for posters was so high that the OWI turned to Madison Avenue advertisers and commercial illustrators to create ad campaigns. This shift changed the design and graphics of the posters, but the content remained the same (Ellis). The posters elicited emotions in the American people and sent the message that actions the behavior of every individual on the home front would have an impact on the battlefront. They could easily be printed in newspapers and magazines for mass distribution.
Freedom of Press
There is not doubt that the United States Government used the media in all forms to control the population for their own benefit. Raw news from the battlefront had to pass through many filters, in the name of security, before it could be distributed to the masses (Herman and Chomsky). This was necessary in order to launch the coordinated media blitz that sparked the American citizen into action. There are some that speculate that the outcome of the war would have been different if the media campaign were not a success (Herman and Chomsky).
World War II changed the way Americans viewed the media and the relationship between the government and the media. The American public became more tolerant of biased media because they saw that the need for victory as a higher priority than individual freedoms at that time. However, it can be argued that this set the stage for a permanent change in the role of the media that still continues today. Production of war poster, news articles and other forms of print media at the direction of the U.S. government and large corporations changed these relationships. Where they were once considered to be disconnected, the relationship had changed and it was now acceptable for them to work together for the common good.
The Constitution guarantees freedom of the press, a principle that was established with the primary goal of giving the people a voice to control their own destiny. However, in World War II, the people were willing to compromise this mechanism. It can be argued that they never gained back control of the press and that the media then became a tool for controlling American thought and American destiny.
The war poster campaign of World War II was funded by the government. After World War II, financing fell into the hands of the advertisers. The media cannot print something that goes against the hand that feeds. This new attitude quickly moved from popular magazines to the new media, television. Advertisers seek programs that will get the audience in the mood to buy (Herman and Chomsky). The content is no longer meant...
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