News, Sport And Opinion From The Guardian’s Us Edition
Several leading journalists were secretly on the government payroll. The regional and nearby newspapers have been heavily dependent on government advertising and published news and editorials to suit Paris. Most of the international news was distributed through the Havas agency, which was largely controlled by the government. The target was to tranquilize public opinion, to give it tiny or practically nothing to perform with, so as not to interfere with the policies of the national government. When critical crises emerged such as the Munich crisis of 1938, individuals have been puzzled and mystified by what was going on. The New...