Propaganda and Public Health: Impact of Wartime Propaganda on U.S. Public Perception of the Spanish Flu

Abstract

Millions of people worldwide were affected by the Spanish flu, often known as the 1918 influenza pandemic, which was a major global health emergency. The epidemic in the United States happened during World War I, and the fighting significantly impacted how the government handled the pandemic. The U.S. administration employed propaganda to downplay the epidemic's seriousness and encourage the population to carry on with their regular routines to maintain morale and support for the war effort. There were other messages urging people to keep working, supporting the war, and spreading the illusion that the flu was no worse than the ordinary cold. This strategy for dealing with the epidemic significantly impacted the public's image of the sickness. The spread of the virus was aided by the fact that many individuals did not take the threat of the flu seriously. Furthermore, the people's anxieties and worries were made worse by the propaganda that was used to minimize the severity of the epidemic. This undermined popular confidence in the government's ability to manage the issue. In the end, propaganda employed by the U.S. government during the Spanish flu epidemic significantly influenced how the public viewed the sickness. The government was able to preserve morale and support for the war effort by downplaying the severity of the epidemic. Still, this strategy also aided in the spread of the illness and damaged public confidence in the administration's response to the crisis.