On October 30, 1938, Orson Welles performed a simple radio play. Within hours, the nation was in panic. Newspapers ran headlines about hysteria, and decades later, the War of the Worlds broadcast is still remembered as the night America lost its grip on reality.

But was it really just an accident of storytelling? Or was something else being tested that night?

In this special featurette, we go back to the broadcast that blurred the line between entertainment and fear. We recreate the moment panic spread across the airwaves—and ask the bigger question: was this the first modern psyop?

This Halloween, tune in to The Hidden Cut for a chilling reminder that the line between fiction and reality has always been thinner than we’d like to believe.

The Cut Continues: Get future episodes, deep-dive essays, and access to The Vault. Subscribe now to join the investigation.

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