Newspaper clippings of the Holocaust

By Cody Robertson | Staff Writer

When reflecting on World War II, a lot of focus can be given to fighting, politics and an immense loss of life. However, few understand the impact that local communication had during that time period.

Dr. David Bulla, Chair of Augusta University’s Communication Department, is on a mission to discover the meaning in our messaging during the time of the Holocaust and World War II.

“I’m basing my research on historical newspapers of Georgia,” said Bulla. “I’m looking specifically at how Georgia newspapers covered the Holocaust.”

Dr. Bulla will be sharing his findings at the Maxwell Theatre on Thursday, November 14th from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. as part of the Augusta University Libraries’ Holocaust Lecture Series. He will share the stage with three other panelists, each offering a different perspective on a wide-ranging topic.

“What I’m finding is different terms used, for example the word ‘holocaust’ was used with a small ‘h’ and was more of an all-encompassing thing about the war, it did not yet refer to Jewish people who had been victims,” said Bulla.

Newspapers were one of the only ways to get news during the war, so its messaging was critical to all Americans, including of course, Georgians.

“This was a time when international news was paid attention to by readers, much more so than it is today,” said Bulla.

One big feature of newspapers is its visual element, and during his research, Dr. Bulla also dove into the photographs of World War II.

“There isn’t much, and I’m not quite sure if it's because they got censored. What I have seen is what I would call carefully edited photos that don’t show the horror as much,” said Bulla.

Students can listen to Dr. Bulla’s research findings for free at the Maxwell Theatre on Thursday November 14th from 4:30 p.m to 5:30 p.m. Stayed tuned afterward for a return to the Holocaust Lecture Series.

Contact Cody Robertson at corobertson@augusta.edu