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Access Type
WSU Access
Date of Award
January 2023
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Department
Communication
First Advisor
Fred Vultee
Abstract
In the aftermath of the first World War, Americans were especially leery of getting involved in European conflicts. By 1940, though, most Americans changed from favoring isolation to supporting some level of intervention. However, some remained staunchly opposed to intervening in European affairs. The Committee to Defend America First – better known as the America First Committee – emerged in 1939 as the largest, most organized voice of opposition to intervention. At its peak, the AFC boasted nearly one million members. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the Committee to Defend America First immediately disbanded and never reformed. Still, the phrase “America First” has become an enduring rallying cry for various groups in the eight decades since the isolationist group disbanded. This study examines newspaper coverage of the AFC from its inception in September 1939 through 1942. This study’s sample includes papers that spanned from east to west coast and included a variety of editorial stances on intervention. Using a content analysis method, this study looks at the presentation of the AFC in traditional, mainstream press, isolationist-friendly mainstream press, and vermin press. By investigating the varying coverage of the AFC in papers representing a wide range of regions and ideologies, this study hopes to shed light on the way this controversial group would have looked to the average American in the early 1940s.
Recommended Citation
Frazier, Darryl T., "Media Framing Of The America First Committee – 1940-1942" (2023). Wayne State University Dissertations. 3922.
https://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/oa_dissertations/3922