Propaganda on the home front during the Second World War came in many forms. From movies to advertisement posters and radio campaigns, the British public could not ignore the multitude of messages coming from their government. This post will be focused on the "Careless Talk" campaign, originally designed to cut down on gossip while bolstering a sense of unity amongst British citizens.
In their article "Careless Talk: Tensions within British Domestic Propaganda during the Second World War" Jo Fox breaks down how propaganda campaigns such as Careless Talk can be corrupted from within when a cohesive message is not achieved. The main problem with Careless Talk was in the core message, shown here in this poster.1
Inner Text: "Of course there's no harm in your knowing!"
The premise of this particular campaign centred around spies living in the midst of everyday British citizens, collecting gossip to use against them. While I'm sure no one ever believed Hitler would hide under their dinner table, Fox notes other campaigns were anti-gossip to weed out "external foes and internal fools" both of whom could cause much damage if the wrong information were to be passed around. The problem with such information is that friends and neighbours become potential threats, undermining any sense of unity. Blame also was placed primarily upon the head of the gossiper, whom, society (or in this clip, the world) believes should have known better.2
Careless Talk was entirely a campaign of suspicion and stereotype. Mary would have been a "Miss Leaky Mouth" or "Miss Teacup Whisperer" while good citizens who kept their mouths shut were exalted as "Mr. Secrecy Hush Hush."3 It is interesting to note that, Fox's article shows a trend of women being the usual instigators of gossip. It is possible this was a decision made knowing that there were more women on the home front than men, as is the usual way with wars. Sending such a specific message to women about the dangers of gossip and the public humiliation of doing so likely made the messages far more powerful.
As the war progressed, Fox indicates an anxiety over speaking in public became commonplace, especially those in lower class jobs. Early days of the campaign had the role of spy played by working or lower class citizens such as factory workers or waitresses in restaurants. This would later lead to a deep suspicion over anyone in such industries to the point where Fox states "even ministers were advised that waiters at their favourite Italian restaurant were being employed by the enemy to eavesdrop on their lunchtime conversations."4
In the end, unfortunately, the Careless Talk campaign notably did more harm than good. The British Government need a united home front to bear the strain of war, thus the ran a "People's War" campaign, aimed at unity and harmony in the country. Yes, Careless Talk did reduce the gossip amongst the British, however it undermined the sense of national pride the country needed. By running the two campaigns together the Minster of Information was muddying the waters, creating a confused message of both suspicion and pride that fostered no end of frustration5. For Historians, the Careless Talk campaign showcases the confused wartime identity of the British on the home front. Propaganda is a complex topic, where mixed messages becomes necessary to cover all the bases. Likely, this was the message the British Government wanted to send:
Take pride in your country, do your duty, but don't talk about it. That is how to be a good patriotic citizen6.
End Notes:
1 Bird. Careless Talk Cost Lives.
2 British Movietone "Careless Talk Trailer."
3 Fox, "Careless Talk: Tensions within British Domestic Propaganda during the Second World War," 944.
4 ibid.
5 Fox, "Careless Talk: Tensions within British Domestic Propaganda during the Second World War," 957.
6 The Test of A Soldier
Bibliography:
Bird, Cyrril K. Careless Talk Costs Lives. 1940.
"Careless Talk - Trailer." Youtube video, 1:13. Posted by "British Movietone" 21, July 2015. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46XsFadIMRY
Fox, Jo. "Careless Talk: Tensions within British Domestic Propaganda during the Second World War." The Journal of British Studies 51, no. 4 (2012): 936-966.
The Test of A Soldier.
Exellent use of sources, and a very good selection of sources! The links here work beautifully, the image and video do as well. I find it very interesting that women were singled out as the most likely to gossip and spread information - even while the males were more likely to find themselves in situations where they were comfortable enough to share information (pubs, military bases, and so on).
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