Media Coverage During The Vietnam War

Write an essay that offers a critical examination of the concept of the ‘guilty media’ thesis in respect of any war of your choice

While political issues like these were slowly demoralising the soldiers fighting the war, the media were still telling a heavily rose-coloured version of the ‘truth’. When the television images were shown in America before 1968, the editors had policies about what to show: More specifically, there were guidelines that were designed to

During the Vietnam War, Americans were greatly influenced by the extensive media coverage of the war. Before the 1960’s and the intensification of the war, public news coverage of military action was constrained heavily by the government and was directed by Government policy. The Vietnam War uniquely altered the perception of war in the eyes of American citizens by bringing the war into their homes. The Vietnam War was the first U.S uncensored war resulting in the release of graphic images and unaltered accounts of horrific events that helped to change public opinion of the war like nothing it had ever been. This depiction by the media led to a separation between the United States government and the press; much of what was reported flouted

The Vietnam War proved to governments all over the world that, in order to have a successful military campaign, some form of censorship needs to take place. The Washington Post has reported that due to the effects of the media in Vietnam, “every U.S. military engagement since… has featured attempts to control the media” (Hajela 2006, para. 13) which demonstrates how, since Vietnam, governments have been trying to avoid a similar reaction. Journalists who also reported in Vietnam recall interviewing generals with media handlers present in later conflicts, and mention, in relation to the censorship in Vietnam that, “[they] don't think that in our lifetimes we will ever see that kind of freedom again.” (Hajela 2006, para. 14) The Vietnam War not only made people aware of the need for censorship, but also the power the media holds, which was made clear in the changing attitudes of the media. This is made clear through public reactions and the timing of which they began to support withdrawals from Vietnam. The Department of Veterans’ Affairs, of the Australian government, highlights the power of the media, stating that, “opposition to the war, as the ALP had learnt to its cost in 1966, was not a vote winner… [however in] 1969… it was electorally popular to oppose the war,” (Australian Government Department of Veterans’ Affairs 2015, para. 2) This emphasises the power of the

‘Television brought the brutality of the war into the comfort of the living room. Vietnam was lost in the living rooms of America – not on the battlefields of Vietnam.’ (Marshall McLuhan, 1975). What evidence exists to demonstrate that the American media coverage of the Vietnam War influenced its outcome?

Powerful words these scholars use such as ‘decisive’, suggest the true extent of the medias’ impact. In the end it was the public pressures the media itself created through its strongly emotive coverage that was a deciding factor in America’s continued involvement in Vietnam. The historic decision to demobilize to satisfy public opinion proved to be a significant aspect in why the United States lost the war in Vietnam.

As an academic, one becomes increasingly aware of the biases in others’ writing. It becomes engrained - to dissect the author’s worldview and biases in order to best determine how those things are affecting their writing. This dissection is all the more important when it comes to journalism. In current times, it is not just the academics that are concerned about biases. The average populous has become increasingly aware that the information that mass media attempts to feed them can be biased beyond belief. The coverage of the Battle of Vimy Ridge in the Toronto Star and The Globe and Mail showcases the differences in how a singular event can be reported in very different ways beautifully.

The Vietnam War was a war of mass destruction, leaving Vietnam to become bitterly divided and claiming the many lives of Vietnamese civilians as well as American soldiers. Out of all the wars in American history, the Vietnam War was the first war to be broadly televised and covered by the media. It came to be known as the first “Television War”. Journalists began to pour into Vietnam from all over the nation, to cover the lives of the American Soldiers as well as Vietnamese civilians. As television brought horrendous images of the war into American living rooms, the perception of an American solider as a hero slowly became the image of the American enemy. Thus, the media is a major factor that

The Vietnam War was one of the most publicized wars in history. It began on November 1, 1955 and lasted until April 30, 1975. It was the first war to be publicized. Before Vietnam only nine percent of homes had television but this number changed dramatically in 1966 to ninety three percent. While television can be educational, the media impacted the Vietnam War even more because of how it changed over time, the media only gave out bad news about the war and the actions of American citizens.

The Vietnam war is also known as the Second Indochina War. Vietnam is a small country in Southeast Asia. The Vietnam War was the longest war in which the United States took part. Vietnam was separated into North Vietnam and South Vietnam. North Vietnam was communist, and they wanted to end U.S support of South Vietnam. North Vietnam wanted to combine the two parts into the country. The United States and South Vietnamese army tried to stop from this happening. The main part of the war was a struggle between the South Vietnamese army and communist trained Viet Cong. The U.S entered North Vietnam and the United States did most of the fighting. The Vietnam War was very unpopular in the United States. Many people demonstrated their anger with the war. Unfortunately and unfairly, the people who were treated badly when they returned to the United States were the soldiers who risked their lives to do fighting.

war the enemy would be in uniform and it was clear who to kill who not

It is clear that journalists played a great role during the Vietnam War considering that they were source of advice and motivation during the war. Many journalists have been recognized due to their efforts during the war where there were radios that broadcasted thus addressing some issues that needed to be known by people. There several American soldiers who have been quoted mentioning their experiences during those times where journalists were heard on radios and newspapers. In order to get a good understanding on the roles that were played by journalists during this war, it is important to at the history of the war. This war started in 1954 where the two super powers were engaging into war. The United States was fighting against the Soviet Union that advocated for communism. Their operations led to the killing of many people where others were displaced. The war had a great impact on the economy since there were a lot of property was destroyed not forgetting the destruction of businesses thus affecting the economy of the nations. It is important to note that not many Americans were happy with the decision of United States engaging into this war. This is because the war had various effects where even many American soldiers and citizens were killed. This is because America had sent its own soldiers in order to participate in the war. Soviet Union of the other hand was looking forward to gain power and procession as well. There are many people who were killed

Vietnam was a country divided into two by communism in the North and capitalism in the South. The Vietnam War, fought between the years 1959 and 1975, was, in essence, a struggle by nationalists in the north to unify the nation under a communist government. This was a long standing conflict between the two sides that had been occurring for years. It wasn’t until 1959 when the USA, stepped in, on the side of southern Vietnamese, to stop the spread of communism. It was a war that did not capture the hearts and minds of the American people as it was viewed as a war that the US army couldn’t win and so the government lost the peoples support for the war. This ultimately led to the withdrawal of the US army from Vietnam. Some people, like

In recent history, humans are able to access new resources that people didn’t have in the past such as the television, national archives and the internet. The television was introduced to Australia on the 16th September 1956 (first broadcast ‘Good evening, and welcome to television.’). Televisions provide us with a visual account of events rather than primarily text. The Vietnam war was the first major conflict to be broadcasted on television. Images of casualties and deaths were shown on the televisions for people to see and historians believe that this has changed people’s view on the Vietnam war ( often known as ‘The living room war” or “Television war”)

From Churchill to Hitler to the former Soviet Union, it is quite clear that radio, television and newspapers have the power to change and make history. A clear example of the power of the media was when Orson Welles? made his famous radio broadcast about ?witnessing? the landing of a spaceship full of Martians. ?America saw that the power of the media could appeal to the public easily and cause mass hysteria? (Williams 25).