The Cold War and Television
Few inventions have had as much effect on contemporary American society as television. Before 1945 the number of U.S. homes with television sets could be measured in the thousands. The number of television sets in use rose from 6,000 in 1946 to some 12 million by 1951. No new invention entered American homes faster than black and white television sets; by 1955 half of all U.S. homes had one.
1951 newsreel about the Rosenberg trial
The power of television news increased with the arrival of the popular newscast. Millions of Americans would tune in to one of a handful of news stations every night to hear updates from around the nation and the world. The events of the Cold War provided many intriguing stories that gripped the public’s attention. Television coverage of the Rosenberg case was powerfully shaped by the Cold War atmosphere of fear in which the trial took place. Newscasts presented the case to the public in a light favorable to the prosecution and detrimental to the Rosenbergs. This helped foster a public perception that the Rosenbergs were dangerous traitors bent on helping a bitter enemy to destroy the United States. |
1954 broadcast of See It Now, featuring Edward Murrow
During the 1950s, Congress was preoccupied with the Cold War and the Red Scare. Wisconsin Senator Joseph McCarthy accused everyone from officials in the State Department to the United States Army of being Communist sympathizers. These claims, without validation, earned him television coverage, often biased in his favor. Among the few individuals in television well positioned enough and brave enough to take a stand against McCarthyism was the distinguished reporter Edward R. Murrow. As McCarthy’s accusations became more strident, Murrow and his show See It Now decided to expose McCarthy. In 1954 Murrow narrated a report revealing McCarthy’s shoddy tactics, ultimately contributing to his downfall. The See It Now confrontation with McCarthy is considered one of the many high points in Murrow’s career. |
1962 short film "Red Nightmare"
In America, the Cold War era was a time of unprecedented prosperity, as well as unprecedented anxiety. The Russians had exploded a hydrogen bomb, touching off a nerve-wracking arms race, and had put cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin in space, setting off a frantic space race. American school children were being taught to "duck and cover" in case of nuclear attack and were being herded into school basements for terrifying bomb drills. This film was produced by Warner Brothers for the US Army for training purposes, but was later released to television and shown in high schools. |
1962 newsreel about the Cuban Missile Crisis
In 1960 John F. Kennedy took over the presidency of a nation that was on the verge of chaos. Abroad, Cold War tensions with the Soviet Union were escalating. Closer to home, Kennedy had to address the threat of Communism spreading in the Western Hemisphere. His desire to remove Fidel Castro from power in Cuba led to a crucial misstep in the Bay of Pigs Invasion. In a televised address on October 22, 1962, President Kennedy notified Americans about the presence of the missiles on Cuba, explained his decision to enact a naval blockade around Cuba, and made it clear the US was prepared to use military force if necessary to neutralize this perceived threat to national security. Following this news, many people feared the world was on the brink of nuclear war. |