As discussed in the Mirzoeff reading, art can have a profound effect on the world, especially in terms of politics, and "truth." Through the example of the Serbian news cast, and the CNN news cast, the "truth" of the broadcast came into question, and the mere inclusion of the CNN logo convinced many that the video must be the truth.
An extreme example of people believing news sources too readily is when Orson Welles read an adaptation of the book The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells on a radio broadcast. This happened on a radio station in 1938, and caused widespread panic. People heard the accounts of the martians invading the earth, and people called the police, and some fled. Most of the listeners did not here the portions of the program where it was said that this was a story, and many of them believed whatever was on the radio.
This is an example of how art had a direct influence on people, and their actions. Much like the case with the Serbian and CNN stations, too many people believed whatever they heard on the radio. However, now, what types of news should we trust? And what types should we question?
http://history1900s.about.com/od/1930s/a/warofworlds.htm
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