Pearl Harbor Media Coverage

Introduction

On December 7, 1941, one of the most infamous days in American history occurred. At 7:55 am, the Japanese attacked ships in Pearl Harbor, as well as the Hickam, Wheeler, Ford Island, Ewa Field and Kaneohe air stations. The attack continued for two hours and twenty minutes and resulted in 2,400 American casualties, 1,200 wounded, and over 300 aircraft and 18 ships damaged or destroyed. Due to the surprising nature of the attacks, radio became the biggest medium for breaking news as many families listened to their favorite Sunday radio broadcasts. Newspapers offered the most in depth coverage, but it didn't have the timeliness that the radio has. Due to to the newness of television at the time, many people went to see the newsreel months later for video footage of the attack.

The day after the attack,December 8, President Franklin Roosevelt addressed the nation and labled the day of the attacks “a date which will live in infamy.” Then he asked Congress to declare war against Japan. By the end of the day, the senate unanimously adopted a resolution declaring war on Japan. The House also voted for war in a vote of 388 to 1

Three days later, Japan’s allies, Germany and Italy, declared war on the U.S., which signaled America’s entrance into World War II.Here is the President's famous speech from that day:

Initial reports

Radio was the main medium that was used to break the news to the nation. . For most, the news of the attack on Pearl Harbor came as an interruption to their favorite radio programs. An Associated Press bulletin at 2:22 PM Eastern Standard Time first reported the attack to mainland news organizations and radio networks. After confirming the initial bulletin with the government, the major radio networks interrupted regular programming beginning at 2:30 PM, bringing news of the attack which was still in progress. This is a rare live broadcast of the attacks from a reporter stationed in Honolulu. The reporter climbed on to the roof of a building to offer an eye-witness account.
here is one of the first radio buliteins, which interrupted CBS Redskin v. Eagles football game:

Here is another news bulletin from that day:

Newspapers

Newspapers acted as the primary source for in-depth coverage of the event. Since the event occurred on Sunday morning, most newspapers had already been printed before the attack and missed the breaking news. However, several managed to publish articles the day of. The Honolulu Star-Bulletin published two "extra" editions during the day of the attack, as seen below.

The information that reporters received was through Ruthjane rumelt, an aide to White House Press secretary Stephen T. Early. Rumelt released pieces of information to the reporters as it came in to reporters in the White House press room. Since the attack occurred in miles away in Hawaii, access to information was difficult initilally. Some East and West Coast papers released special editions the day of, but most of the in-depth coverage didn't occur until the following day. The following day, many newspapers declared "War" in their headlines such as the Los Angeles Times (right).

Photography

Because of the war, many of the photos of the attack at Pearl Harbor were censored in order to protect military information and weapons details. Photographer Bob Landry was one of the only professional photographers near Pearl Harbor during the day of the attack. His images were some of the first released to the public and ran in both TIME and LIFE magazine, but did not run until Feb. 16, 1942, two months after the attacks. His photos were taken the day after the attack and showed images of sinking battleships and destruction. Other photos from the event were either amateur photos or images taken by the Navy that wouldn't be released until later. Here is one of his images that was released that day:

The Newsreel

Another way the news was released to the public in the 1940s was through the use of the newsreel. The newsreel was a video that was shown in theaters for the public to learn about the attack. While the newsreel offered the public to see footage of the attacks and wreckage, it lacked timeliness and wasn't released until several months after the attack.

Sources

11. "CBS Football game Broadcast Interrupted by Pearl Harbor Bulletin." CBS: 07 12 1941. Radio.

<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhETI8Aun-4&feature=related>

22. "Pearl Harbor News Bulletin ." NBC: 07 12 1941. Radio. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePe5s0E5MeA&feature=related>.

33. "Pearl Harbor newsreel." Castle Films: 1942. Film. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvYhQKn5hlE>.

44. Honolulu Star-Bulletin 07 12 1941, n. pag. Print. <http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/pearl-harbor-on-the-nations-front-pages/2011/12/06/gIQAmTXmaO_gallery.html

55. Honolulu Advertiser 08 12 1941, n. pag. Print. <http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/pearl-harbor-on-the-nations-front-pages/2011/12/06/gIQAmTXmaO_gallery.html

66. Honolulu Star-Bulletin 07 12 1941, n. pag. Print. <http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/pearl-harbor-on-the-nations-front-pages/2011/12/06/gIQAmTXmaO_gallery.html

77. Honolulu Star-Bulletin- 2nd edition 07 12 1941, n. pag. Print. <http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/pearl-harbor-on-the-nations-front-pages/2011/12/06/gIQAmTXmaO_gallery.html

88. The Balitmore news post 08 12 1941, n. pag. Print. <http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/pearl-harbor-on-the-nations-front-pages/2011/12/06/gIQAmTXmaO_gallery.html

99. Landry, Bob. TIME & LIFE PICTURES. 1941. www.Time.comWeb. 5 Mar 2013. <http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,2101677_2326570,00.html>.

110. "Newscaster reports live on Pearl Harbor, Dec. 7, 1941." NBC: KGU, Honolulu, 07 12 1941. Radio. <http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/kgu-honolulu-reports-live-on-dec-7-1941/2011/12/06/gIQApKq0aO_video.html>.