CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2007
| Author | Solomon, Stephen Philip |
|---|---|
| Title | "Too Much Propaganda": Audience Perceptions of US vs. British Radio Broadcasts During the 1956 Revolution in Hungary |
| Summary | In this thesis I analyze the perception of difference between foreign radio broadcasts from the United States and Great Britain directed towards Hungary before and during the 1956 Revolution. I utilize the Donald and Vera Blinken Collection of Hungarian refugee interviews from 1957-1958. This collection shows that radio broadcasts from the British Broadcasting Corporation’s (BBC) World Service were preferred to all other foreign radio broadcasts. It also shows broadcasts form America’s Radio Free Europe (RFE) were least trustworthy. Purveyors of propaganda are faced with a choice. Either use emotional appeals to persuade and risk leaving you commitments unfilled, or only utilize facts and risk not persuading enough. During the 1956 Revolution, America chose the former strategy and ended up falling shot on its promises, Great Britain chose the later and emerged with a stellar rapport. America’s investment in the persuasion of Eastern Europeans to the point of revolt resulted in their distrust. Many perceived America would provide support and lost their trust in American radio because this support never came. Great Britain however had less invested in a revolt in Hungary. They persuaded with facts because of their smaller interest in the issue as well as their history of objective and impartial public service media. The BBC was founded before the start of World War II, and unlike American radio stations it had a pre-war state to return to. By following journalistic standards and taking a slighter role in the Cold War, British foreign radio was preferred to all other stations. |
| Supervisor | Sukosd, Miklos |
| Department | Political Science MA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2007/solomon_stephen.pdf |
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