The Impact of Wartime Cooperative Relationship Between the US Government and the Media and Entertainment Industries on American Society and Consumers

Abstract

Every aspect of American society was affected by World War II, including the economic structure of the nation along with advertising, radio, newspapers, magazines, motion pictures, music, and trade books. After the end of the war, television emerged as a powerful entertainment format. What was the state of the US economy in the immediate postwar years? How did the media and entertainment formats emerge from the war? What problems did they confront after the war? This chapter addresses many of the key economic issues, including the Gross Domestic Product, unemployment, the population, Domestic Consumer Expenditures, and inflation. In addition, the industries listed above are analyzed in terms of their resiliency to confront new business challenges once hostilities ended.