Question: How did the entertainment industry contribute to the U.S. war effort during World War II?
Options:
A. By enlisting all actors in the military
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B. By turning the radio over to the government
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C. By making newsreels and propaganda
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D. By selling ration cards at movie theaters.
Answer: The correct answer is option: C. By making newsreels and propaganda.
Explanation: During this time, the current president was Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 32nd President of the United States. His administration recognized the powerful influence of the entertainment industry and started looking for ways to use this energy for encouraging public support towards the war effort. The Office of War Information, also known as OWI, was the main arbiter of this relationship. OWI worked with cartoonists, screenwriters, film studios, newspapers, radio stations, and national artist to produce and broadcasts with the only goal of urging U.S citizens to cooperate with the government’s restrictions and wartime programs. The majority of this work was newsreels and propaganda, which became extremely popular. Thanks to the newsreels and propaganda, many volunteers were recruited for the Army Air Forces beyond just pilots due to a campaign of 12 fictional stories, more than 50 nonfiction articles, a novel, and a song called “I Wanna Marry a Bombardier.” The results of bombardier recruits were so large that the War Department had to ask the Writer’s War Board to suspend their campaign.
