The use of Propaganda and Censorship in Britain during

WW2

By Mr Portman

The Ministry of Information was responsible for the poster campaigns which encouraged people to join voluntary

services, to work hard and to generally contribute to the war effort in Britain. They also produced posters which warned

people of the dangers of ‘careless talk’. There was a fear that there were German Spies working in the country so people

were told not to discuss the war in public. They became familiar in all areas of the country as life immensely changed

due to ‘TOTAL WAR’.

The Ministry of Information tried to keep in touch with the people through an organisation called mass observation whose members carried out surveys and reported on conversations they heard in

shops and pubs.

Censorship

The Government used censorship to control newspapers and other forms of communication. The Government

made sure that Newspapers reported on the war in a positive way. They

did this by highlighting the heroism of soldiers and rescuers instead of

reporting about injuries and deaths. Many thought that this was extremely

important as it kept Morale high.