Artifact #7: Nanaimo The Daily Herald
Citation:
The Daily Herald. (1915, September 1). The Daily Herald (Vol. XV, No. 156). Nanaimo, Vancouver Island, British Columbia. https://www.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.N_00116_191509
Label:
Newspapers during WWI were one of the most common ways for citizens nationwide to collect information regarding the war efforts. However, an official censor in Canada monitored newspapers and other publications for material that might harm the war effort, while federal officials threatened editors and publishers with jail time if they failed to comply with warning notices. The government was able to carefully shape public opinion around the war by omitting information that may have caused damage to public morale. Instead, the newspapers took a more positive approach, emphasizing the victories achieved, such as the subheading “French Artillery Continues Bombardment of German Positions– Violent Cannonade Takes Place in Lorraine and Vosges,” as seen in Nanaimo’s The Daily Herald 1915 newspaper. The paper also uses positive rhetoric such as “The question most asked here is: When is the big blow coming off?” The rhetorical question raises hope for an imminent victory, ensuring the public that the war’s outcome is controlled. Through censorship, the government could provide the nation with information which would keep them in support of our nation's war efforts.
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