There have been many famous hoaxes, sometimes before the Internet made it easy to communicate. Select one of the subjects below (or another approved by your teacher).
Balloon Boy Hoax
War of the Worlds Hoax
Loch Ness Surgeons Photo Hoax
Charge IPad with Onion Hoax
Clever Hans Horse Hoax
Tree Dwelling Octopus Hoax
JATO Rocket Car Hoax
Crop Circles Hoax
Enter your selected topic into your favorite online search engine and read about the famous hoax. Then, answer the questions below.
This is a teacher-graded exercise.
1. Which hoax did you select?
2. Enter the URL(s) leading to the article(s) you used to answer the remaining questions.
3. What was the main idea behind this hoax?
4. When did the hoax start? Was it intended as a hoax?
5. When was the hoax revealed as false?
6. What effect did the hoax have on people?
7. Were any laws broken or punishment applied to the hoax authors?
1. I selected the War of the Worlds Hoax.
2. URL: https://www.history.com/news/war-of-the-worlds-radio-broadcast-hoax-panic
URL: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/infamous-war-worlds-radio-broadcast-was-magnificent-fluke-180955180/
3. The main idea behind the War of the Worlds Hoax was a radio broadcast in which Orson Welles adapted H.G. Wells' novel "War of the Worlds" into a contemporary setting, presenting it as a series of news bulletins interrupting regular programming, leading many listeners to believe that a real Martian invasion was taking place.
4. The War of the Worlds Hoax started on October 30, 1938, as a radio broadcast on the CBS network. While it was intended as a dramatic broadcast for Halloween, the realistic presentation of the events caused panic among some listeners who believed it to be real.
5. The hoax was revealed as false shortly after the broadcast, as the program included disclaimers indicating that it was a work of fiction. However, by then, the panic had already spread among many listeners.
6. The hoax had a significant effect on people, causing widespread panic and confusion among those who believed that a real alien invasion was taking place. Some listeners fled their homes or tried to take action to protect themselves from the supposed threat.
7. While no laws were broken and no punishment was applied to Orson Welles or the radio station, the War of the Worlds Hoax remains one of the most famous instances of mass hysteria caused by a media presentation.