The Titanic and the Birth of Controlled Narratives

By John Walter

On April 15, 1912, the world awoke to headlines that declared victory over disaster.

“All Saved From Titanic After Collision.”

“Titanic Sinking; No Lives Lost.”

Those words were printed in bold confidence, shouted from newsstands, and read by families who believed their loved ones were safe. Yet as the ink dried, the truth was already sinking to the bottom of the North Atlantic.

More than fifteen hundred souls were lost that night. But the first thing to die was not a passenger. It was the truth.