George Creel
How Propaganda in the News was used to Cover WWI
“We did not call it propaganda, for that
word, in German hands, had come to be associated with deceit and corruption.”
–George Creel
During WWI, George Creel was head of the United States
Committee on Public Information. Woodrow Wilson created this as a propaganda
agency to release government news and distribute propaganda abroad. The
committee became known as the ‘Creel Committee,' and influenced American’s
opinion on participation during the war. The Creel Committee did everything it
could in order to gain public support for war efforts. The propaganda that resulted from this shaped American news coverage of the war as well as public opinions.
This propaganda effort influenced the minds of Americans by
creating posters, sculptures, paintings, and cartoons to instill emotions.
These emotions included fear, patriotism, and most importantly an interest in
the war.
George Creel Biography
George Creel was born on December 1st, 1876. He
worked as a reporter for the Kansas City
World in 1894, and eventually ended up publishing his own newspaper called
the Kansas City Independent. He
developed a reputation as a ‘mukracker,’ and reported news that supported the
war efforts. Creel was a supporter of Woodrow Wilson, and wanted to help in any
way possible and became involved in Wilsons re-election campaign. When Wilson
wanted to impose censorship on the press, Creel opposed and instead suggested
that they should not control the news but censor what was released. He sent
Wilson a brief arguing for this, and was then assigned to be the head of the
U.S. Committee on Public Information.
Creel was able to pull together talented artists to create
war effort images. This included artists such as James Montgomery Flagg, Joseph
Pennell, and N.C. Wyeth.
Example of James Montgomery Flag Propaganda:
Creel was all for “unparalleled openness” and against the
publication of things that be believed to be enemy propaganda. He was against
lies, and anything that would have a negative impact on American’s ideas and
opinions of the war. He saw this as “a publicity proposition, a vast enterprise
in salesman ship, the world’s greatest adventure in advertising.”
Here are examples of a propaganda cartoons featured in the news during WW1:
Here are examples of a propaganda cartoons featured in the news during WW1:
Crops
Evening Journal 1917
The Kaiser Commits Atrocities in Belgium
New York World 1914
New York World
1915
Out of the Depths
New York Sun 1915
Creel based his propaganda mainly on visual forms. He
believed in espression not repression when it came to censorship.
Example Of Joseph Pennell Propaganda
Example Of N.C. Wyeth Propaganda
To see more propaganda posters from WW1, click here.
Creel’s ad campaign influenced newspapers, magazines, and
press. Not only did he focus on this, but it eventually extended to
photographic media. This led to the creation of propaganda films. Stereoview cards
were created by newspapers when Creel expanded into still images.
Minute Men Poster
Creel created the “four-minute” minute men who gave
patriotic speeches for four minutes on topics given to them by the Committee on
Public Information. By the end of the war, it was estimated that the men had
given over 7.5 million speeches to over 314 million people.
Creel had an effect on the war efforts and American people by leading a committee that worked to raise awareness and interest in the war. By using propaganda in the news and throughout the United States, citizens opinions were influenced. The distribution of pamphlets, cartoons, images, and movies shaped societal ideas of war in a much different way than ever before.
Works Cited
The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. "George Creel (American Journalist)." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 22 Feb. 2014.
"George Creel Quote." BrainyQuote. Xplore, n.d. Web. 22 Feb. 2014.
"How America Was Sold on World War." Reason.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Feb. 2014.
"WWI Home Front: Manipulating Minds: The War Propaganda Machine." WWI Home Front: Manipulating Minds: The War Propaganda Machine. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Feb. 2014.
"WWI Home Front: Manipulating Minds: The War Propaganda Machine." WWI Home Front: Manipulating Minds: The War Propaganda Machine. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Feb. 2014.
