Episode 54: Formatting Fear, The Knox Formula

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This just in: Boo! Should you be afraid? Stay tuned.

Yes, news tries to suck the viewer in. It's the stuff of stand-up and parody everywhere. But is it such a good idea to try to frighten people when they just need to know the basic news of the day? What possible reason could they have for such silliness? I explore that question in this Episode 54: Formatting Fear, The Knox Formula, where I call as evidence probably the most remembered broadcast that led to a panic, the 1938 Mercury Theater's rendition of The War of the Worlds.

In this episode, you will indeed hear quite a bit of that recording, along with newspaper accounts of what happened the very next day. I also read from a Rolling Stone article by Matt Taibbi concerning news that tries to frighten.

Musically, you will hear bits of Ramon Roquello and his Orchestra, and Full Load of King doing "Gray Walk Oblivion Part 1." KMFDM opens the show with then Mayor of Burlington, Vermont, Bernie Sanders, and Mistle Thrush once again closes with the end to "It's All Like Today."