Analysis of Newsmap: The 236th Week of the War
by
ANR
The Newsmaps of World War II were written, published, and issued at the direction and expense of the American Government. They were printed weekly, with editions being marked, for example, as “236th Week of the War”. Different editions of Newsmaps were issued. One edition was the Industrial Edition, which was meant for the factory workers on the home front. Another was the Army Edition, which was sent to the troops abroad. Yet another one was the domestic edition, which was meant for individual American war effort groups.[1]
The Newsmaps showed maps of war zones, pictures of soldiers, and provided the reader with information about the latest militaristic events. “Beginning with volume 1, no. 5, most Newsmaps had a second side which provided recognition cues for tanks, ships, and planes; information about enemy organization, equipment, and uniform insignia; strategies for defeating or evading enemy weapons; detailed maps; highlights of service achievement; or inspirational posters or photo montages. As hostilities came to a close, Newsmap content switched to revelations of enemy atrocities, and to information on the peace process and reconstruction efforts around the world. Side two content on these later Newsmaps often focused on preparation for the return to civilian life.”[2]
The primary purpose of the Newsmaps was “to inform and motivate American military personnel”[3] and factory workers. The Industrial edition of Newsmaps differed slightly from the Army editions of Newsmaps. One such example is the inclusion of information about production statistics in the Industrial Newsmaps. In Newsmap: Week 236, one of the feature pictures of men lifting an engine with a crane has a caption that reads “ With ‘Production Line Maintenance’ engine changes are made in short order. S/Sgt. Norman E. Waggoner of Miamisburg, Ohio, hoists an engine forward while S/Sgt. Gunter Enstad of Freeport, New York, carefully guides the operation.”[4] Pictures like these allowed factory workers to see the products that they helped build being used. The workers would then feel like they were contributing to the war effort, as the pictures illustrate that their efforts were not being wasted.
The Week 236 industrial issue of the Newsmaps is very organized. On the front, the various names of the war theaters are printed in bold. These are: USSR, Italy, Western Europe, Central Pacific, Bougainville, New Britain, Admiralty Is, New Guinea, and Southeast Asia. Below the section that lists the events of the war theaters, there are sections that cover technology, as well as sections about the Army, Air Force, and the health of the Army. An interesting trait of the map is the color scheme. The heading “Newsmap” is in a bright orange color, and the maps that are on the bottom of the Newsmap are in a scheme of orange and the color of the page.
Owners and viewers of Newsmaps were exposed to American propaganda by the said posters. For example, the 263th Week Newsmap employed the propaganda techniques of diversion and one-sided portrayal of events. The one-sided portrayal can be found in the New Britain section, which states that “Rabaul was attacked daily and enemy defenses were found to be weak and the harbor almost devoid of vessels.”[5] The text does not state the specific condition of the defenses, nor does it explain the circumstances that caused the harbor to be almost completely evacuated. This portrayal is able to be excused, as the government could not reveal the secrets that they knew about the enemy. There is also a subtle bias in favor of the Americans. An example is in the parachute brake section, where the poster describes the “resourceful crew”[6] using three parachutes in order to safely land a damaged aircraft.
The propaganda was not just conveyed in text, it was also conveyed in statistics and images. For example, the text in the Army Health section says “Despite the use in modern warfare of the most destructive weapons ever known, only 3.7 per cent of Americans wounded have died, as compared with 6.1 per cent during the last war.”[7] This statistic fails to mention the number of men killed in action, as the estimated number of American soldiers killed ranges from between 420,000 in World War II[8], compared with 116,708 soldiers killed[9] in World War I. This statistic uses the diversion tactic of propaganda. The government fails to mention this serious piece of information in order to draw away attention from the number of soldiers that were being killed.
Another form of propaganda that was used in Newsmap 236 is making the enemy seem foolish. This can be identified in the USSR section of the Newsmap, where the text states that “German air transport was being used to supply gasoline to Nazi armor and other vehicles, but even with this aid great quantities of equipment were left behind.”[10] Another example is in the Bouganville section of the Newsmap: “When American and New Zealand troops occupied the Green Islands, northwest of Bougainville on Feb. 14, Gen. MacArthur stated that some 22,000 Japs still remained in the Northern Solomons, cut off from reinforcement, and must expect to surrender or die.”[11]
The Week 236 Newsmap also provides subtle encouragement to get more people to enlist in the Army. This is evidenced by the Army Health Section, where it states that “More than 1,000,000 men with dental deficiencies have been rehabilitated to meet Army standards, and more than 1,000,000 dentures so far have been provided.”[12] This phrase has a tone that there is no excuse for not joining the Army on account of missing teeth. This would pressure men who would not have enlisted normally into joining.
The images are shown in an area that enhances the text above them while providing captions of their own. In the captions, specific names of the officers in the photos are mentioned. This would make the officers seem more human and relatable, not just men that are overseas. This naming of officers isn’t just limited to Americans; Soviet generals such as General Malinovsky are also identified.
It appears that the Newsmaps were well thought out by the American government. This effort is apparent especially in the visual aids and photographs. The maps that are below the text that describes the action in the theaters are color coordinated. This coordination is due to the color of the heading of the Newsmap, which reads “Newsmap” in bright orange. The American government also seems to be careful about using military jargon in the Newsmap. The sections that describe the theaters of the war are written in language that the average American could understand, using nicknames and terms such as “Jap.”[13]
The Week 236 Newsmap also provides information that is historically accurate. For example, in the New Guinea section of the Week 236 Newsmap, the text talks about the Huon Peninsula Campaign, which lasted from 1943 to 1944, which would have been in the time range that the poster was providing information about.
There is no real way to test if Newsmaps led to an increase in war effort production and Army enlistment. However, based on the propaganda techniques used in issues such as the Newsmap of Week 236 of the war, as well as the anecdotal evidence provided in the posters, the American people were at the very least slightly influenced by the Newsmaps. Based on this information, it can be concluded that the posters were well worth the effort, as the average American’s thinking would at least be influenced by the ideas on the Newsmaps.
Sources
Footnotes
[1]“World War Two Newsmaps”. University of North Texas, last modified 2006, https://digital.library.unt.edu/explore/collections/NMAP/
[2]Ibid.
[3]Edmunsot. “Friday Feature (on a Wednesday): WWII Newsmap Collection,” Oregon State University Libraries, posted May 3 2013, http://wpmu.library.oregonstate.edu/osu_archives/2013/05/01/friday-feature-on-a-wednesday-wwii-newsmap-collection/
[4] “Newsmap Industrial Edition: 236th Week of the War-118th Week of U.S. Participation”, U.S. Federal Government
[5] Ibid., New Britain.
[6] Ibid.
[7] Ibid.
[8] “How Many Americans Died in WW2?”, History on the Net, https://www.historyonthenet.com/how-many-americans-died-in-ww2/
[9] “How Many Americans Died in WW1?”, History on the Net, https://www.historyonthenet.com/how-many-americans-died-in-ww1/
[10] Newsmap, USSR.
[11] Ibid., Bougainville.
[12] Ibid., Army Health.
[13] Ibid.
The Newsmaps showed maps of war zones, pictures of soldiers, and provided the reader with information about the latest militaristic events. “Beginning with volume 1, no. 5, most Newsmaps had a second side which provided recognition cues for tanks, ships, and planes; information about enemy organization, equipment, and uniform insignia; strategies for defeating or evading enemy weapons; detailed maps; highlights of service achievement; or inspirational posters or photo montages. As hostilities came to a close, Newsmap content switched to revelations of enemy atrocities, and to information on the peace process and reconstruction efforts around the world. Side two content on these later Newsmaps often focused on preparation for the return to civilian life.”[2]
The primary purpose of the Newsmaps was “to inform and motivate American military personnel”[3] and factory workers. The Industrial edition of Newsmaps differed slightly from the Army editions of Newsmaps. One such example is the inclusion of information about production statistics in the Industrial Newsmaps. In Newsmap: Week 236, one of the feature pictures of men lifting an engine with a crane has a caption that reads “ With ‘Production Line Maintenance’ engine changes are made in short order. S/Sgt. Norman E. Waggoner of Miamisburg, Ohio, hoists an engine forward while S/Sgt. Gunter Enstad of Freeport, New York, carefully guides the operation.”[4] Pictures like these allowed factory workers to see the products that they helped build being used. The workers would then feel like they were contributing to the war effort, as the pictures illustrate that their efforts were not being wasted.
The Week 236 industrial issue of the Newsmaps is very organized. On the front, the various names of the war theaters are printed in bold. These are: USSR, Italy, Western Europe, Central Pacific, Bougainville, New Britain, Admiralty Is, New Guinea, and Southeast Asia. Below the section that lists the events of the war theaters, there are sections that cover technology, as well as sections about the Army, Air Force, and the health of the Army. An interesting trait of the map is the color scheme. The heading “Newsmap” is in a bright orange color, and the maps that are on the bottom of the Newsmap are in a scheme of orange and the color of the page.
Owners and viewers of Newsmaps were exposed to American propaganda by the said posters. For example, the 263th Week Newsmap employed the propaganda techniques of diversion and one-sided portrayal of events. The one-sided portrayal can be found in the New Britain section, which states that “Rabaul was attacked daily and enemy defenses were found to be weak and the harbor almost devoid of vessels.”[5] The text does not state the specific condition of the defenses, nor does it explain the circumstances that caused the harbor to be almost completely evacuated. This portrayal is able to be excused, as the government could not reveal the secrets that they knew about the enemy. There is also a subtle bias in favor of the Americans. An example is in the parachute brake section, where the poster describes the “resourceful crew”[6] using three parachutes in order to safely land a damaged aircraft.
The propaganda was not just conveyed in text, it was also conveyed in statistics and images. For example, the text in the Army Health section says “Despite the use in modern warfare of the most destructive weapons ever known, only 3.7 per cent of Americans wounded have died, as compared with 6.1 per cent during the last war.”[7] This statistic fails to mention the number of men killed in action, as the estimated number of American soldiers killed ranges from between 420,000 in World War II[8], compared with 116,708 soldiers killed[9] in World War I. This statistic uses the diversion tactic of propaganda. The government fails to mention this serious piece of information in order to draw away attention from the number of soldiers that were being killed.
Another form of propaganda that was used in Newsmap 236 is making the enemy seem foolish. This can be identified in the USSR section of the Newsmap, where the text states that “German air transport was being used to supply gasoline to Nazi armor and other vehicles, but even with this aid great quantities of equipment were left behind.”[10] Another example is in the Bouganville section of the Newsmap: “When American and New Zealand troops occupied the Green Islands, northwest of Bougainville on Feb. 14, Gen. MacArthur stated that some 22,000 Japs still remained in the Northern Solomons, cut off from reinforcement, and must expect to surrender or die.”[11]
The Week 236 Newsmap also provides subtle encouragement to get more people to enlist in the Army. This is evidenced by the Army Health Section, where it states that “More than 1,000,000 men with dental deficiencies have been rehabilitated to meet Army standards, and more than 1,000,000 dentures so far have been provided.”[12] This phrase has a tone that there is no excuse for not joining the Army on account of missing teeth. This would pressure men who would not have enlisted normally into joining.
The images are shown in an area that enhances the text above them while providing captions of their own. In the captions, specific names of the officers in the photos are mentioned. This would make the officers seem more human and relatable, not just men that are overseas. This naming of officers isn’t just limited to Americans; Soviet generals such as General Malinovsky are also identified.
It appears that the Newsmaps were well thought out by the American government. This effort is apparent especially in the visual aids and photographs. The maps that are below the text that describes the action in the theaters are color coordinated. This coordination is due to the color of the heading of the Newsmap, which reads “Newsmap” in bright orange. The American government also seems to be careful about using military jargon in the Newsmap. The sections that describe the theaters of the war are written in language that the average American could understand, using nicknames and terms such as “Jap.”[13]
The Week 236 Newsmap also provides information that is historically accurate. For example, in the New Guinea section of the Week 236 Newsmap, the text talks about the Huon Peninsula Campaign, which lasted from 1943 to 1944, which would have been in the time range that the poster was providing information about.
There is no real way to test if Newsmaps led to an increase in war effort production and Army enlistment. However, based on the propaganda techniques used in issues such as the Newsmap of Week 236 of the war, as well as the anecdotal evidence provided in the posters, the American people were at the very least slightly influenced by the Newsmaps. Based on this information, it can be concluded that the posters were well worth the effort, as the average American’s thinking would at least be influenced by the ideas on the Newsmaps.
Sources
- "Friday Feature (on a Wednesday): WWII Newsmap Collection." Special Collections & Archives Research Center. May 01, 2013. http://wpmu.library.oregonstate.edu/osu_archives/2013/05/01/friday-feature-on-a-wednesday-wwii-newsmap-collection/.
- "How Many Americans Died in WW1?" History on the Net. June 11, 2018. https://www.historyonthenet.com/how-many-americans-died-in-ww1/.
- "How Many Americans Died in WW2?" History on the Net. July 06, 2018.https://www.historyonthenet.com/how-many-americans-died-in-ww2/.
- “World War Two Newsmaps.” Digital Library. 2006. https://digital.library.unt.edu/explore/collections/NMAP/.
Footnotes
[1]“World War Two Newsmaps”. University of North Texas, last modified 2006, https://digital.library.unt.edu/explore/collections/NMAP/
[2]Ibid.
[3]Edmunsot. “Friday Feature (on a Wednesday): WWII Newsmap Collection,” Oregon State University Libraries, posted May 3 2013, http://wpmu.library.oregonstate.edu/osu_archives/2013/05/01/friday-feature-on-a-wednesday-wwii-newsmap-collection/
[4] “Newsmap Industrial Edition: 236th Week of the War-118th Week of U.S. Participation”, U.S. Federal Government
[5] Ibid., New Britain.
[6] Ibid.
[7] Ibid.
[8] “How Many Americans Died in WW2?”, History on the Net, https://www.historyonthenet.com/how-many-americans-died-in-ww2/
[9] “How Many Americans Died in WW1?”, History on the Net, https://www.historyonthenet.com/how-many-americans-died-in-ww1/
[10] Newsmap, USSR.
[11] Ibid., Bougainville.
[12] Ibid., Army Health.
[13] Ibid.