About WWII United News Newsreels, 1942-1946

The U.S. Office of War Information (OWI) was created during World War II (WWII). Part of its

role was to oversee U.S. propaganda and promote patriotism. As part of this role, the OWI

produced 267 newsreels called the 'United News.’ These newsreels were shown throughout

the U.S., but were targeted to overseas viewers. The reels were released in several languages,

including German. However, they were primarily distributed to allied and neutral countries.

Newsreels averaged 10 minutes in length and consisted of U.S. military footage depicting

allied military operations and other events from the home front. Much of the footage was taken

by military combat photographers and is in excellent condition.

Source: Ancestry.com