Peer Responses
Please respond to three (3) separate post, responses need to be 100-125 words in length. Be sure to engage in a peer response after reading the post.
Give some compliments about the post and what you like about it and some discussion about what is being talked about. Please respond to the person writing the post. Thank you. Responses are on attachment.

Peer Response #1
Ad Council and VOA
curtis keltner(Oct 8, 2018 9:57 PM)- Read by: 4
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The purpose of the Ad Council and the Voice of America was to broadcast favorable government campaigns and charitable causes. During the early years of the Cold War the Ad Council kept the public abreast of diplomatic developments but also solidified American values. According to Dr. John McGinnis of Syracuse University “between 1945 and 1952, the early years of the Cold War, Americans came to fear the Soviet Union. During these years the Advertising Council conducted mass media campaigns in support of the American Economic System, the Freedom Train, and the Ground Observer Corps.”[1] The Ad Council and Voice of America are both government funded and stay politically neutral, they compare and contrast one another in the way they reach their audience. The Voice of America mission statement says in part “Since its creation in 1942, Voice of America has been committed to providing comprehensive coverage of the news and telling audiences the truth. Through World War II, the Cold War, the fight against global terrorism, and the struggle for freedom around the globe today, VOA exemplifies the principles of a free press.”[2] The Ad Council and Voice of America exemplify the best of American culture and society by reaching as many Americans as possible in a concerted effort to improve the country through campaigns that are pertinent to our times. As the Ad Council mission statement says “Identify a select number of significant public issues and stimulate action on those issues through communications programs that make a measurable difference in our society.”[3] A notable campaign that is at the forefront of the Ad Councils current mission is the end of the opioid crisis.

Peer Response #2
Trowbridge – Week 2: Ad Council and VOA
Jeremy Trowbridge(Oct 9, 2018 12:22 PM)- Read by: 4
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Good morning everyone,
Through the earlier parts of the 20th Century, American Presidents were able to manipulate mass media to better spread their messages to the people. It was usually partisan and very often came in the form of speeches. However, it provided the government with a blueprint to reach out to the American people. At the start of WWII two government agencies would also use mass media to help spread information and public awareness for important topics of the day. Those two organizations are the Ad Council and the Voice of America (VOA).
The Ad Council was established in aftermath of Pearl Harbor with the intent of producing a means of advertising sales for War Bonds1. However, in the immediate years after the war, the Ad Council would transform into an instrument of the federal government to encourage peace and warn of the growing dangers of communism. In contrast the Voice of America would strive to be a true unbiased platform of communication. Originally acting in a similar fashion to the BBC during wartime, the VOA would provide the news in a multitude of languages to anyone listening abroad2.
The formation and fostering of these two organizations demonstrated that the Federal government was keen to use the main staples of mass information sharing at the time, i.e.- Radio and Newsprint. However, the nature of the organizations were really at odds with one another. VOA was growing with the government objective of demonstrating to the world how the United States wanted to be: fair, just, and unbiased. However, try as it might, the Ad Council would cater to how the government thought the country needed to be: wary of communists, foster the nuclear family, and be healthy.

Peer Response #3
The Ad Council and the VOA
Heather Donbrosky(Oct 9, 2018 1:15 PM)- Read by: 4
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Last Edited By Heather Donbrosky on Oct 9, 2018 1:17 PM
Both the Ad Council and the Voice of America were created far prior to the beginning of the Cold War. The Ad Council commenced in November 1941 with the intent to provide advertising as related to matters particular to the general public’s interest.[1] Shortly after World War II began, the Ad Council transitioned into The War Advertising Council with the initial mission to help fund American war efforts by campaigning to “sell War Bonds.”[2] The Voice of America was built directly upon the need to “combat Nazi propaganda with accurate and unbiased news and information” to as many people as possible around the globe.[3] During the Cold War, the Ad Council utilized its platform to denounce communism, with respected well-knowns such as Eleanor Roosevelt and General Eisenhower appearing “in anti-communism ads.”[4]The broadcasting disseminated by the Voice of America throughout the Cold War became an “indispensable tool for promoting democracy and understanding across all regions and cultures.”[5] The continual employment of the Ad Council and the Voice of America throughout the Cold War are indicative of the federal government’s desire to hinder communist efforts within and outside of America’s borders.
In comparison, both the Ad Council and the Voice of America work in their own ways to stimulate and advocate for that which advances and improves America’s desire and ability to do better and to educate people on an extensive range of critical topics and cultural activities. In contrast, the Ad Council’s primary objective is to high-light and bring to the forefront of America’s mindset, those issues crucial to keeping America safe while simultaneously creating campaigns to promote for the general welfare of American citizens. The Voice of America is not an advertising medium, but a media outlet focused explicitly on providing “accurate, unbiased reporting” regarding events as they occur around the world in addition to expounding on America’s “history, culture and values.”[6]
Both the Ad Council and the Voice of America articulate the United State’s democratically driven culture and society that overall remains intent on finding ways to promote for the common welfare of America and citizens of the world. American society wants to do good but there is a great need for American’s to be aware and educated on particular matters that require individual action which the Ad Council’s endeavors bring to the forefront. With so many news outlets deemed as either liberal or conservative, the Voice of America’s mission is to simply disseminate the news, “good or bad” in a manner that is not overtly swayed by personal politics. The fact that the Voice of America continues to exist, speaks well of American society’s desire to have an equitable outlet in obtaining information regarding current events.