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Atomic Bomb Propaganda and the Journalists Who Challenged It

Bombshell
PBS

Bombshell explores how the U.S. manipulated the narrative about the impact of the WWII bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and how a group of journalists pushed back.

8pm Thursday BOMBSHELL - Documentary
An in-depth look at the efforts of a group of intrepid reporters who let the world know the truth about the bombing of Japanese cities, Hiroshima and Nagasaki during WWII.

American Experience: Bombshell

On August 6, 1945, a revolutionary new weapon destroyed Hiroshima, a Japanese city of 300,000 inhabitants. Three days later, a second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. America’s secret super-weapon was lauded for bringing about victory in the Pacific and ending World War II. President Truman’s official announcement included half-truths that shaped the government’s official narrative: “Sixteen hours ago, an American airplane dropped one bomb on Hiroshima, an important Japanese army base.” In fact, the bomb was aimed at Hiroshima’s city center for maximum psychological effect; the army base on its outskirts escaped much damage.

Eighty years after the devastating atomic bombings that ushered in the nuclear age, Bombshell explores how the U.S. government manipulated the narrative about the atomic bombings of the Japanese cities Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Through propaganda, censorship and the co-opting of the press, the government presented a benevolent picture of atomic power, minimizing the horrific human toll. Bombshell sheds light on the efforts of a group of intrepid reporters to let the world know the truth.

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