War of the Worlds

Have you ever thought about the magnitude of media impact? We always think about how media can convince us to buy clothes or how it can change our ideologies on certain topics. But how about killing yourself or killing somebody else, do you think media can cause us to do such things? 

I'm going to confirm this accusation. media can, and in fact has, caused us to kill people or kill ourselves.


War of the Worlds Radio Quito 1949

Context:

• The War of the Worlds (book) 
• Written in 1898
• Science fiction novel by H. G. Wells
• Adventures in London and the countryside around London as Earth is invaded by Martians.  
• One of the earliest stories that details a conflict between mankind and an extraterrestrial race. 

• The War of the Worlds (radio drama)
• Episode in American radio drama anthology series
• Halloween episode on October 30, 1938
• Directed and narrated by Orson Welles
• Adaptation of H. G. Wells' novel The War of the Worlds. 
• Suggested to many listeners that an actual alien invasion by Martians was currently in progress.  

Who, When, Where: 
Leonardo Paez
February 12th 1949 
Quito, Ecuador

What: 
http://www.war-ofthe-worlds.co.uk/war_worlds_quito.htm
 
Impact: 
Demonstrates how media can convince us of wrongful information and can cause us to take extreme action