This is some interesting stuff from the BBC archives concerning reaction to Germany’s Lord Haw Haw broadcasts….relevant now because they were the internet broadcasts of the day.
Over 9 million Brits listened to these broadcasts every day according to BBC research at the time…the most likely to listen were young males, ‘politically’ minded, from better off families…sound familiar?
In this letter the then BBC Director General wrote to Government that…
‘The Haw-Haw question is of great importance – we here have never regarded it as
the joke which it is supposed to be by some – and I hope that you will forgive a
fairly lengthy letter about it. That Haw-Haw should be countered is of course
agreed entirely; the only problem concerns the methods.’‘There is, first, the question of the size and the nature of Haw-Haw’s public. It
is undeniable that he is widely listened to at present: what is more doubtful is
how listeners react to him.’
The BBC did some research in 1940 to find out who was listening to Haw Haw and why….
THE EFFECT OF HAMBURG PROPAGANDA IN GREAT BRITAIN
The British people weren’t so easily fooled then it seems…
‘There is general recognition that Haw-Haw is a liar, and, though many concede
that his broadcasts contain grains of truth, we have not yet come across a single
listener who accepts his word as “gospel”.’‘All the evidence supports the view that Haw-Haw is listened to as an entertainment and virtually never as a source of news. His undeniably great success as an entertainer arises largely, we believe, from his success in appealing, both with the audacious naughtiness of his comments and with his barefaced lies, to the latent schoolboy in each of us.’
However he was still considered a risk…and
A British Army major writes to Home Intelligence at the BBC highlighting concerns about Haw-Haw’s propaganda. He advises that these broadcasts should not be countered directly with analysis and corrections, as this would enable Haw-Haw to improve and in turn command bigger audiences. Neither should there be a veto on listening to him. Instead, the only solution lies with the BBC……
‘The Only Real Remedy Lies with the BBC’
One aspect of broadcasting is becoming very important. There is more or less consistent listening to Hamburg in the B.E.F., in Officers’ messes, men’s canteens and estaminets. The D.M.I. considers that this is a grave danger to morale and may be in the future a very definite penetration point for enemy propaganda.
“Haw Haw”, or his successor, is at present treated as a joke but by the free publicity given to him in every possible way, both out here and at home, not only has his general listening public been increased but the widespread discussion of his outstanding faults has enabled German propaganda experts to correct those faults and to make his broadcasts more palatable to British listeners.
The phrases “Of course he does bring out a lot of good points, you know” and “Let’s hear what Hamburg’s got to say about it” are still frequently heard. The danger is not serious at the moment but should any series of reverses at sea, on land or in the air take place there is no doubt that alarmist reports from Hamburg would find a large military audience ready to receive them, and ready to accept some proportion as being true.
Just a shame that the BBC doesn’t think countering the Jihadi narrative is equally important today…in fact the BBC fed into it with its attacks on the Iraq War, which also had an effect on British troops fighting that war, and still feeds into that narrative…Nicky Campbell in the past couple of weeks has made several references to the Iraq War being to blame for what is happening in the Middle East now…and it’s not just Campbell on the BBC who makes that claim amongst many others that pillory British history in the region in a very one-sided and deliberately simplistic way such as saying the British ‘carved up the Middle East’….and then there’s the BBC’s demonisation of Israel and the censoring of those who raise the issue of the conflict between fundamentalist Islam and Western ideals.
Muzzling the critics of conservative Islam and its propagandists is not conducive to social cohesion nor a free world.
You missed the bit about William Joyce being hung after a “trial” by a kangaroo court.
he was even executed for treason when he wasnt even a british citizen. victors justice is rough innit.
In similar circumstances today’s BBC management would give him his own series.
I prefer the 1945 version.