newsreel

A newsreel was a short film made from real footage of current events - wars, political rallies, sports competitions, natural disasters, celebrity appearances, and more - that was shown in movie theaters before the main feature. Popular from the 1910s through the 1960s, newsreels gave many people a way to see what was happening beyond their local communities.

Before television became widespread, going to the cinema was not just entertainment; it was also a way to get visual news. Newsreels were not simply raw recordings of events. They were carefully edited and often included narration, music, and dramatic effects to create a certain story or emotional effect. Studios like Universal, Paramount, and British Pathé produced their own versions, each with its own style and point of view.

While they are valuable historical records, it is important to remember that newsreels were not always neutral. During wartime, for example, they were sometimes used as propaganda or to support a political message. Today, historians study them not only for the events they show but also for how those events were presented and understood at the time.

You might come across references to newsreels in historical fiction, documentaries about media history, or discussions of old films. They belong to a unique period in film and media history - a window into how people once watched the news.