This 1944 U.S. Army instructional film about censorship incorporates the humor, sexuality and racism of the time.
During the war, U.S. government control of the news by the Office of War Information was comprehensive. All correspondence between active duty military personnel and civilians was censored. Additionally, all major news organizations (radio, newspapers and newsreels) voluntarily adopted a code that promoted patriotism and ensured that dispatches from the front accentuated the positive.
Prior to the advent of television, which brought the visual horror of war into America homes each evening, the media presentation of WWII was carefully managed to maintain popular support for the war. Consequently, many disturbing aspects of WWII were hidden from American public view.