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Selling “Star Wars” in American Mass Media

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Media and the Cold War in the 1980s

Part of the book series: Palgrave Studies in the History of the Media ((PSHM))

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Abstract

In March of 1983, Ronald Reagan introduced his Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), a program to intercept incoming ballistic missiles in space. Dubbed “Star Wars” by skeptics, SDI prompted a media battle—in print, television commercials, documentaries, and even a mail-in sweepstakes—between two non-government organizations: High Frontier, which believed missile defense was achievable, and the Union of Concerned Scientists, which criticized Star Wars at every turn. Together, these NGOs shaped public perceptions of Star Wars’ promise before the White House could. Alarmed at this media war, the Strategic Defense Initiative Organization had to fight back with its own media campaign to ensure the short-term survival of SDI. In the process, it abandoned Reagan’s vision and pursued continued congressional funding.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Finlandia University, Hancock, MI, USA

    William M. Knoblauch

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  1. William M. Knoblauch
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Correspondence to William M. Knoblauch .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Volda University College, Volda, Norway

    Henrik G. Bastiansen

  2. New York University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

    Martin Klimke

  3. Volda University College, Volda, Norway

    Rolf Werenskjold

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Knoblauch, W.M. (2019). Selling “Star Wars” in American Mass Media. In: Bastiansen, H.G., Klimke, M., Werenskjold, R. (eds) Media and the Cold War in the 1980s. Palgrave Studies in the History of the Media. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-98382-0_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-98382-0_2

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-98381-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-98382-0

  • eBook Packages: HistoryHistory (R0)

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