The Impact of the Media on the Vietnam War Essay

Vietnam was an entirely new type of war for the United States. It still remains morally and historically problematic in today’s society. The Vietnam War had a tremendous impact on American society and culture, primarily because it was the first war to be televised. The American press played a significant

One way that the United States government was able for to control the media was by using organizations like the Joint U.S Public Affairs Office, or JUSPAO for short. JUSPAO held press conferences in Saigon that were often referred to by reporters as “the five o’clock follies”: “Many reporters, however, spent most of their time in the South Vietnamese capital, Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City), and got their stories from the Joint U.S. Public Affairs Office’s daily briefings (which soon became known as “the five o’clock follies”).” They were called this because they were filled with misinformation that sought only to put the war in a positive perspective. JUSPAO was an attempt in some people's eyes to spread propaganda so the media would portray the War in a positive light: “The job of JUSPAO and the military media outlets was not only to inform but to present a positive version of events in order to shore up morale among troops and ensure support for the war among politicians and ordinary citizens.” The U.S government tried to control the media with the Joint U.S. Public Affairs Office (JUSPAO). They

The Vietnam War introduced many new forms of technology on and off of the battlefield. Increased weaponry helped shape the outcome of the war, but media coverage also played a large role in representing the news and opinions of the war. Viet Thanh Nguyen’s The Sympathizer helps illustrate how the media influences and spreads the opinions of the people during the Vietnam War. The war media, which includes newspapers, movies, and most importantly television, caters towards its audience. What the media publishes shapes the public opinion, and the media creates their stance based on the profit they receive.

The Vietnam War was one of the first wars to be broadcasted in one’s own living room. It is also one of the most misconstrued and misunderstood wars that have resulted in American defeat. Being one of the longest wars fought in history, it has left many questioning the motivation behind the conflict that spanned two decades before being resolved. Despite being a conflict between North and South Vietnam, the United States decided to enter the war in spite of being faced with opposition from its citizens. This was a war of choice, not necessity. The United States’ incentive was solely stimulated by self-interest and progressed by deception. It has generated controversial opinions when analyzing whether the war was justifiable in terms of origin, motivation and U.S. involvement. The U.S., to justify their interference in the war, used the domino theory, which exaggerated and instilled fear of communism in the public. Unfortunately, it is not enough to rationalize their decision and will further be scrutinized when applying the Just War theory.

Media played an important yet controversial role during the Vietnam War. I have learned more and more about this infamous war, the main point being that it was the first war to have broadcast the fighting in people’s homes. I will say, I do not know much about the Vietnam War from a media and journalism standpoint. In past courses, only the history and events that unfolded were covered or discussed. I know many protests, however, broke out in the United States over the use of media. People could actually see what was happening abroad rather than assuming or ignoring it completely.

The media played a fundamental role in changing the outcome of the Vietnam War. The media eroded public support back in the United States and became the driving force behind the growing unpopularity of the war. The media brought politics into the living room which in turn made citizens experts on matters of national security and foreign policy.

The media plays a crucial role in covering the war in the most objective, bias-free and truthful

One of the most known wars in history is the Vietnam War. This was the first war to be televised to the public that was completely raw; the nation was able to view live deaths from both American and Vietnamese people. The war left a heavy burden on the nation’s economy causing the U.S. government spending around three hundred to nine hundred billion dollars in a war a majority of the nation was fighting to end (Rohn). The loss of the Vietnam war “delivered the current sense of cynicism about the government (Finney).” Public outrage of the loss of their loved ones and upbringing of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) had the nation questioning their voice within the government; did the government pursue the war for self-interest in spite of the nation’s disapproval? These broadcasts and images exposed the problem along with context from journalists, they are uncovering what the public is eager to know; this newly found information engages the

Vietnam’s independence has come with much struggle, firstly with France’s determination to regain the empire they had ruled for over half a century and then later with America. Because of the length and the immensely confusing nature of the Vietnam War it is impossible to reflect on America’s oppression towards Vietnam without looking at the first Indochina War, where the Vietnamese fought against the domination of the French imperialism. Edward Lansdale, a former United States air force officer once stated “it is like a spectator arriving in the middle of a complex drama, without true knowledge of the plot or of the identity and motivation of those in the drama.” By the time the American’s committed to a ground war in Vietnam, many were describing the war against France not only as a fight against colonialism but also as the beginning of the struggle against American imperialism. Both America and France assumed that the Vietnamese were unfit to govern themselves and neither would consider Vietnam gaining independence. The war period in Vietnam has a death toll so high it still remains contested, making war Vietnam’s predicament for well over forty years with no other country suffering as many casualties of war since World War II.

To what extent was US military intervention in the Vietnam War justified? This paper will examine the causes of the conflict and why the US got involved. The paper will inspect the US’ relationship and ties with the different countries and parties involved in the conflict. The paper will also look at various US policies, such as foreign policy and the containment of communism, and the public opinion of the war. Effects of the war will also be looked at as a reference, but these effects will not be the focus of the paper. Both secondary and primary sources will be utilized to provide context and obtain a clearer understanding of the tension in the war.

Both types of media (newspapers and television broadcasts) shared one thing in common that went against every government control: lack of military censorship. In his book, Hallins describes, “The mobilization of of public opinion was increasingly seen as something that needed to be organized systematically, and the press was naturally considered central to that effort.” ((Hallin, The Uncensored War.)) With new forms of media growing ever to popular, such as television and photography, media networks had the tools to tell the true story to the American people. Journalists and reporters from all over the United States traveled to Vietnam to capture the escalating war. Many infamous and graphic photographs have been captured and even posted on

The objective of the investigation is to determine to what extent the American news media affected the support and result of the Vietnam War. The Vietnam Conflict was officially recognized as a war beginning in 1955, but it was not until the 1960s that U.S. news outlets began coverage on the conflict in Vietnam. Before this era, the news was mainly concerned with reporting issues that had to do with Communism and the Cold War with the USSR. It wasn 't until the North Vietnamese 's communist efforts were more widely known that the U.S. media started covering the issue. Therefore, the investigation will begin around this time period. It will cover how the media affected the Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon

The Vietnam War is one of the most controversial topics in American History. Historians debate the United States’ right to enter Vietnam, the level of involvement in the conflict, and the success or failure of achieving American goals of involvement. In this extended

The calamitous American involvement in the Vietnam war exposed a plethora of social and political ambiguities in 1960s society. The loss of the war can be attributed to a number of things - poor foreign policy, Johnson’s failure to adequately justify American involvement, the lack of direction for the war or viable strategy, and U.S. troops being unable to compete with the foreign terrain of Vietnam. In this essay I will argue that among the numerous reasons the war was lost, three were the most notable: American arrogance and the “disease of victory,” the incompetence of the U.S. government to handle a war of such scale, and, at a more practical level, the insoluble mix of American troops with Vietnamese territory and foliage. As a combination, it can be discerned that the Vietnam War was a war America could never win.

By 1973, after a decade of brutal armed contact and with nearly 60,000 Americans dead, the once proud and mighty USA had been brought to its knees. Feeling isolated the USA decided to abandon its commitment in Vietnam after rising pressure from years of mistakes. America withdrew from Vietnam due to several main reasons; some were long-term e.g. Protests of the American citizens, and others were short-term factors e.g. Morale of American soldiers. In this essay I will discuss the main factors for American withdrawal from Vietnam and try to process the most important ones. I will show how the US media combined with protests in the USA was the most important reason for American withdrawal and ultimately led to the American withdrawal from