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Distributed for University of British Columbia Press

The Information Front

The Canadian Army and News Management during the Second World War

Distributed for University of British Columbia Press

The Information Front

The Canadian Army and News Management during the Second World War

In wartime, capturing the hearts and minds of the citizenry is arguably as important as victory on the battlefield. The Information Front explores the Canadian military’s use of public relations units to manage news during the Second World War. These specialized units were responsible for providing sufficient and positive news coverage to Canadians at home. This fascinating study traces the transformation of an emergent PR organization into an efficient publicity machine. It also scrutinizes news coverage and PR activities during major Canadian operations at Dieppe, Sicily, and Normandy to reveal how the military used censorship and propaganda to rally support for the war effort.


Table of Contents

Introduction

Part 1: Canadian Army Public Relations and War News in the Second World War

1 The Beginnings: The Growth of Canadian Army PR and Policy, September 1939 to June 1943

2 Learning through Trial and Error: Sicily and Italy, July 1943 to June 1944

3 The Publicity Machine: The Northwest Europe Campaign and Beyond, June 1944 to May 1945

Part 2: Case Studies

4 “Sugaring the Pill”: Selling Dieppe to Canadians

5 Public Relations Triumph, Press Relations Debacle: The Invasion of Sicily

6 Murder, Massacre, and Friendly Fire: Three Normandy Case Studies

Conclusion

Appendices

Notes

Bibliography

Index

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