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New book by US scholar reveals how 6 media barons in US & UK aided Hitler’s rise before WW-II

In her book 'The Newspaper Axis', Kathryn Olmsted, a history professor at UC Davis, writes that media's role was central to the western powers' ignorance of the Nazi threat in 1930s.

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New Delhi: For most of the 1930s, western powers ignored the threat posed by Adolf Hitler.

The Newspaper Axis, a new book by Kathryn S. Olmsted, professor of history at the University of California, Davis, sheds light on how six media barons from the UK and US were central to this ignorance of the Nazi threat.

Using their control over editorials and news content of papers, the media barons supported, condoned, appeased, and even underestimated Hitler’s rise in Nazi Germany, the book says.

The Daily Mail and Daily Express in the UK, and the Chicago Tribune, New York Daily News, and Washington Times-Herald in the US all supported fascist propaganda in one way or another in the years preceding World War II, Olmsted’s book claims.

Andrew Moravcsik, a professor of international affairs and politics at Princeton University, wrote in a review of the book in Foreign Affairs: “They (newspapers) spread a polemic, sensationalistic, and personalist style of news writing that often crossed the line into outright untruth a power in which they reveled.”


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6 media barons who aided Hitler

The publisher of Daily Mail, Lord Harold Rothermere, the book says, praised Nazi Germany and fascist Italy as the “best run” countries in Europe. He even secretly wrote to Hitler, encouraging him to invade countries. Further, Rothermere got stories published in Daily Mail which argued that Hitler had “saved his country” from incompetent leaders while bringing unparalleled benefits to Germany.

Next in Olmsted’s analysis is Lord Max Beaverbrook, the proprietor of Daily Express, another member of the “Newspaper Axis”. Through the Daily Express, Beaverbrook advocated for a policy of appeasement towards Germany while maintaining that Britain must maintain an “isolationist” approach towards larger issues in the European continent. Olmsted also reveals that Beaverbook wanted to portray UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill as a “warmonger”.

Across the pond, the book reveals that Joseph Medill, who ran the New York Daily News, Eleanor “Cissy” Patterson, who controlled the Washington Times-Herald, and Robert McCormick, publisher of the Chicago Tribune all related to each other contributed to Hitler’s rise. There was also William Randolph Hearst, who ran magazines, wire agencies, and 28 newspapers.

According to Olmsted, the American media barons felt that “those who wanted to resist the European dictators posed a greater danger to their own country than the fascist leaders themselves”.

‘America first’

The book argues that while Medill, Patterson, and McCormick didn’t vociferously support Hitler, they believed that the US must avoid providing any aid to Britain. For the three, this was central to the US avoiding war.

Furthermore, the three believed that instead of concerning themselves with dictators abroad, they must focus on whom they believed to be a dictator at home US President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

They believed that Roosevelt was aligning with Communist-leaning advisers to overthrow democracy in America, says the book.

According to Olmsted, the most open supporter of the fascists was Hearst. He gave space to Hitler and his second-in-command, Hermann Göring, as well as Italian dictator Benito Mussolini to write columns in his newspapers. Essentially, giving their propaganda ample space in his newspapers.

The book also reveals that they were even paid for their columns. Hearst further argued that Hitler had restored “character and courage” in Germany.

Beyond praising the fascists, Hearst, the book highlights, openly advocated an isolationist policy for the US, to stay away from “squabbles among Europeans”. He printed the headline ‘America First’ on many of his newspapers, Olmsted explains.

In his review of Olmsted’s book, Moravcsik wrote: “This book reminds readers that nationalist press outlets that disseminate fake news, praise foreign autocrats, and practice dog-whistle politics are nothing new.”

(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)


Also read: ‘Similarities between fascism & Hindutva’: Row erupts over Sharda uni question, prof suspended


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