The Ministry of Information had two aims, there aims were: the censorship of news media and the creation of pro-allied propaganda for both home and overseas audiences. This was propaganda, the Government produced posters encouraging you to conserve food or fuel and beware of spies. There were leaflets given out to inform people of various things and giving instructions of what to do in things such as raids etc. Films were shown at cinemas that sent messages across to the British audience; they did there bit to boost a bit of morale. The controlling of information also aimed to boost morale and support the war and to make sure that the press/BBC did not publish anything that could be helpful to the enemy.
Men who were fighting in war needed to know that they were fighting with hope from British citizens everywhere, and that morale was being kept at home. The government also believed that the men would not fight if they did not know that their friends and loved ones were safe. War leaders told soldiers that at home everything was ok and morale was high. At home, many stories and pictures were submitted to be put in newspapers, magazines and television, and broadcasts were sent on the radio that the soldiers were doing very well and we were winning, when we were far from it. Source C is a very clear example of what was being published to keep morale high, it's a photograph which shows British civilians who have had there homes destroyed still smiling, showing the British grit, they look as if they are getting on like everything is normal. It shows the survivors but says nothing or shows anything about the people who have been killed or the people’s houses which have been ruined. It would have been approved because the picture is so positive and shows nothing at all negative about the war.
Source D is a prime example of what the censors were trying to hide, it's a photograph taken after an air raid, and it shows peoples houses that have damaged and their belongings and personal possessions which have been scattered across the streets of Coventry. This photograph obviously wasn't shown because if people saw it would make them think they are losing everything so whets the point in carrying on. Another source which was banned by the censors is source B, air photograph of a girls' school in London which was hit, it shows soldiers putting the dead young girls’ bodies and teachers’ bodies into sacks. If this picture was shown, people would be depressed at the fact they are losing member of their families and there lives are being destroyed.
Soon after, another act was set up called 'observation'. The Government monitored the mood of people and this became known as, Mass Observation Reports. This involver volunteers, police and other various people who listened to conversations in shops, bars, cafés, post offices and other places. They would write a report of what they had heard and then these were then analysed by the Government. Source E is an extract from one of these reports and it tells us a completely different story to own how Britain was made out to be, there is so much panic and mayhem. Women and children are hysterical, it gives the impression that the war needs to end. If this was printed in the press then people would start to push and push and the Government to surrender and this was far from what they wanted to do. In the Press the papers were being closely controlled, only publishing positive articles and photographs of the Blitz. Censors did not have to force this issue as they censored those selves; newspapers soon became very small and thin. The radio sent out broadcasts giving instructions throughout raids, it played a key role to lives throughout the Blitz. It wasn't controlled by the Government so it censored itself.
To conclude, I think that censorship and propaganda were the main things that kept morale high throughout the war. It was good that the Government did hide the effects of the war away from the British people and they didn’t show how much the Germans were having an impact to everyday life in Britain, otherwise we would have been defeated.
