Late on an autumn evening in 1938, many Americans settled down beside their radios expecting an ordinary night of entertainment. Radio had become the country's most trusted source of news and information.

In 1938, radio drama caused panic across America: Orson Welles' 1938 radio broadcast of The War of the Worlds caused widespread confusion after its realistic news format led some…

Late on an autumn evening in 1938, many Americans settled down beside their radios expecting an ordinary night of entertainment. Radio had become the country's most trusted source…