World War II: The most prominent example of how the government can control information during times of war — or at least try to, as this war also exemplified what U.S. citizens are willing to put up with in regards to censorship and “watered down” information.
The Office of Censorship, founded two years after the start of the war, was created to impose various restrictions on both press and citizen communications.¹ The director appointed in 1941 was Byron Price, the former executive editor of the Associated Press — the most influential news company at the time. Because of his previous position, many journalists felt comfortable about his role at the helm of a division that would oversee the future of press communications.
On January 15, 1942, the Code of Wartime Practices for the American Press was put into place. This pamphlet outlined stringent instructions and proper ways to handle the spread of information during times of war, especially World War II. It was adopted and obeyed by all major news organizations at the time.²
Journalists in the United States agreed to confirm stories with an “appropriate authority” before releasing them to the public. The press’ compliance was widespread.¹
Aside from press compliance, however, the Office of Censorship also required it from regular citizens. Posters such as the ones featured below encouraged Americans to keep talk of the war to a minimum in order to prevent rumors and leaks about the military’s movements. These objects of propaganda were handled by the Office of War Information (OWI), established in 1942.
¹ Video Lesson Week 11