Abstract
During World War II, the Office of War Information (OWI) became the United States' most sophisticated domestic propaganda agency, charged with forging national unity in the face of global conflict. This paper explores how the OWI fused federal authority with private-sector cooperation to influence public sentiment through film, advertising, journalism, and rumor control. Rather than resorting to direct censorship, the agency relied on voluntary collaboration, emotional appeal, and strategic framing to shape a coherent narrative that blurred the line between democratic persuasion and ideological management. Drawing on an extensive range of primary sources, including internal memos, field reports, and public media, this article argues that the OWI successfully mobilized the American public by cultivating a sense of civic duty, while simultaneously narrowing the space for dissent. Situating the agency within broader historiographical debates, this analysis reveals how the OWI set enduring precedents for the entanglement of state messaging and democratic culture, raising vital questions about the role of propaganda in free societies during moments of national crisis.
Recommended Citation
Fix, Ryan G.
(2025)
"The Architects of Consensus: Propaganda, Patriotism, and the OWI’s Battle for the American Mind,"
Bound Away: The Liberty Journal of History: Vol. 8:
Iss.
1, Article 7.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/ljh/vol8/iss1/7
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