Overview

In wartime, it is not only success on the battlefield that determines victory. Winning hearts and minds is a vital part of military strategy and relies in large part on the effective management of how and what information is reported from the front. This illuminating study explores how the Canadian military developed and relied on public relations units to manage news during the Second World War. The soldiers assigned to these units, mainly former journalists, were responsible for censoring information, supervising and assisting war correspondents, coordinating policy with the Allies, and ensuring the steady flow of news to Canada. Using public relations case studies from Dieppe, the Sicilian campaign, and Normandy that reveal clashes among individual commanders and politicians, the press, the military, the government, and the Canadian public, The Information Front offers a balanced and intelligent discussion of how the military used censorship and propaganda to rally support for the war effort.

Full Product Details

Author:   Timothy Balzer
Publisher:   University of British Columbia Press
Imprint:   University of British Columbia Press
Weight:   0.520kg
ISBN:  

9780774818995

ISBN 10:   0774818999
Pages:   272
Publication Date:   10 December 2010
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print  
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Table of Contents

Introduction Part 1: Canadian Army Public Relations and War News in the Second World War 1 The Beginnings: The Growth of Canadian Army PR and Policy, September 1939 to June 1943 2 Learning through Trial and Error: Sicily and Italy, July 1943 to June 1944 3 The Publicity Machine: The Northwest Europe Campaign and Beyond, June 1944 to May 1945 Part 2: Case Studies 4 Sugaring the Pill : Selling Dieppe to Canadians 5 Public Relations Triumph, Press Relations Debacle: The Invasion of Sicily 6 Murder, Massacre, and Friendly Fire: Three Normandy Case Studies Conclusion Appendices Notes Bibliography Index

Reviews

This is an important and original history of the Canadian Army's overseas public relations during the Second World War that is based on impressive research in Canadian, US, and UK primary sources.<br> - J.L. Granatstein, author of Canada's Army: Waging War and Keeping the Peace

Author Information

Timothy Balzer has taught at the University of Victoria and for the Continuing Studies Division of the Royal Military College of Canada.

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