Traditional Media Uses: President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Fireside Chats

Listening to a fireside chat.

During the 1930s and 40s the American people were suffering through times of economic depression and war. Through the use of the radio, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was able to unite the people of America in those difficult times. In what became well known as "fireside chats," FDR addressed his audience as "his friends" and often used "you" and "we" pronouns to keep his address personal. He knew that it was important for everyone feel included in the efforts to turn around the depression and win the war.

Being sure to make them relatable and understandable to the average citizen, he carefully prepared these discussions days in advance and drafted them from the 1000 most common English words. "Analysis of FDR's style indicates that he knew exactly what he was doing...in his radio addresses. Americans were uneasy. Roosevelt's objective was to build confidence...FDR needed Americans to be determined and confident. In what he said and how he said it directly to the people via radio communicated a message of confidence," comments Jenny Yu.

This simple channel of communication to the American public proved to be effective and necessary when Pearl Harbor was bombed. President Roosevelt promptly drafted a less formal declaration of war to congress with the intent of reading it to the listeners of a fireside chat. By doing this he was able to assuage the feelings of the public and communicate a clear plan of action for the nation. While such a channel of communication would no longer reach such a vast and eager audience, President Roosevelt found the radio to be a compelling and powerful influence during his presidency.


http://www.jstor.org/stable/30036746?seq=1