Opposition to Vietnam War

What media coverage was there of the Vietnam War?

US media coverage continued to expand as the war continued. In 1964 there were fewer than 10 journalists in Vietnam, but by 1968 there were over 600. Television also played a part in bringing the war into American homes.

What are some examples of media coverage of the Vietnam War?

Examples of media coverage of the Vietnam War included:

• ❖ The Tet Offensive in January 1968. Coverage showed Vietnamese civilians being killed and ancient monuments destroyed.
• ❖ In February 1968 there were news stories of General Nguyen Ngoc Loan's execution of a Vietcong fighter.
• ❖ In November 1969 the media broke the truth about the My Lai Massacre.

Why was there an increase in media coverage of the Vietnam War?

Media coverage of the Vietnam War increased for the following reasons:

• ❖ To begin with, there were few troops in Vietnam. In 1960 there were only 900 'military advisers', and no reporters.
• ❖ This changed in 1960 when local Vietnamese people were killed in an attack against Diem, the South Vietnamese president. Many journalists travelled to Vietnam to report on the event.
• ❖ As US involvement in the war increased, so too did the number of journalists covering the conflict. By 1965 there were 400 foreign news reporters in Vietnam - an increase of 900 per cent on 1964.
• ❖ Since the Second World War, there had been a significant increase in the number of Americans who owned a television. In 1948, just 1 per cent of American households had a television; by 1961, this had risen to 93 per cent.
• ❖ Journalists were better equipped to report the news with ground-breaking technology such as video cameras and voice recorders. It helped reporters capture the reality of the war and broadcast it to America and the world.
• ❖ There was no censorship on coverage of the Vietnam War. The Second World War and Korean War had been filmed by military cameramen, but Vietnam was caught on film by by independent television networks.

What was the early media coverage of the Vietnam War like?

Early coverage of events in Vietnam mostly included positive reporting on the courage of American soldiers and the new technology used in weaponry. In the context of the Cold War, it portrayed the USA as the 'goodies', fighting the communist 'baddies' of North Vietnam.

How was the anti-Vietnam War movement portrayed on television?

The media showed the anti-war movement and created momentum for it through television, music, and key public figures.

How did television portray the civil rights movement's views on the Vietnam War?

Civil rights activists such as Martin Luther King, Muhammad Ali, and the Black Panthers were among those who spoke out. They opposed black people having to fight for America when they faced racism at home.

How was music used in coverage of the anti-Vietnam War movement on television?

Music was a massive medium for the anti-war movement to express its beliefs. Music from Bob Dylan, John Lennon and Jimi Hendrix among others helped create a young generation that opposed the war.

What were the 'five o'clock follies' in media coverage of the Vietnam War?

As the war intensified in the mid 1960s, US forces met with journalists covering the conflict daily at 5:00pm. The journalists would jeer and mock the military officials as they felt the truth was being hidden about the extent of failures of the US Army in Vietnam. These meetings became known as the 'five o'clock follies' as they were seen as useless.

What was the significance of media coverage of the Tet Offensive in the Vietnam War?

The TV media coverage of the Tet Offensive was significant for the following reasons:

• ❖ The coverage resulted in a change in how the war was reported and how the public perceived the conflict.
• ❖ For many months officials had assured the public that they were winning the war, however the TV media coverage of the Tet Offensive contradicted this.
• ❖ TV reports of the Tet Offensive showed the fall of the US embassy of Saigon - a symbolic defeat in the eyes of Americans (although the US eventually won it back).
• ❖ Viewers saw the brutality of the war, and after the Tet Offensive many people did not trust what they were being told.

How did media coverage expose the government's lies to the public about the Vietnam War?

People lost faith when they realised the government was not being completely honest about what was happening in Vietnam. For example, the US government claimed victory in the Tet Offensive, but CBS journalist Walter Cronkite reported the reality and showed that it was a stalemate.

What role did television play in the anti-war movement and Vietnam?

Television played a part in affecting public opinion. It showed the civil rights movement, music, Watergate and the Pentagon Papers, as well as live broadcasts from Vietnam.

What was the 'credibility gap' on television during the Vietnam War?

The 'credibility gap' was the term used to describe the difference between what the US government said was happening, and what people saw happening on TV.

What was the significance of Walter Cronkite's role in media coverage of the Vietnam War?

The role of Walter Cronkite was significant for the following reasons:

• ❖ Walter Cronkite was a famous news broadcaster, seen as one of the 'most trusted men in America'. His coverage of the war played a huge role in the peace movement.
• ❖ In one of his news broadcasts for CBS, in February 1968, he said: 'It seems now more certain than ever, that the bloody experience of Vietnam is to end a stalemate... it is increasingly clear to the only rational way out then will be to negotiate.'.
• ❖ Cronkite was so influential that President Johnson once said to an advisor: 'If I have lost Cronkite, I've lost this country.'.
• ❖ When Walter Cronkite made his famous statement on the Tet Offensive in 1968, it was considered a turning point in the media and public attitude, and the beginning of the fading of support for the war.

What was the significance of media coverage of the My Lai Massacre in the Vietnam War?

Coverage of the My Lai Massacre in March 1968, was significant because it damaged the reputation of the US forces. Americans were shocked and appalled about both the reports of their soldiers murdering innocent people but also the fact that the army and government had tried to cover it up.

What was the impact of media coverage of the Vietnam War?

The TV media coverage of the Vietnam War had the following impacts:

• ❖ It led to a lack of trust in the US Army and the government. When the New York Times published leaked reports of American actions in Vietnam in June 1971 that were supposed to be secret many felt they had been lied to about the war.
• ❖ The media coverage influenced public opinion. When the names and faces of over 200 US soldiers were published during a week of fighting in 1969, people became angry about fighting a distant war.
• ❖ As more and more stories were published of soldiers and civilians dying and the brutality of the war, this affected the morale and behaviour in the US forces.
• ❖ The failure of US tactics in Vietnam was widely published and clear for Americans to see on the television and this led to more people questioning the point of the war and if the USA could win.
• ❖ The anti-war movement was further strengthened by the TV media coverage of the conflict.