What Evidence Exists to Demonstrate That the American Media Coverage of the Vietnam War Influenced Its Outcome?
‘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?
There are only two comprehensive inferences that can be drawn upon when assessing the impact and legacy of the reporting of the Vietnam War on America and its media; the impact was enormous and its legacy unending. More than thirty years have passed since the American military withdrew from Vietnam, and in that time, the war has continued to permeate the cultural, and political landscape of America, impacting all subsequent war reporting and shaping the way in which the Government and the people of the country (and the rest of the world) view the media’s role within society. It was the first war where absolute freedom of the press was granted and where the technology was available to bring almost real - time media coverage to the citizens of America and the rest of the world. The lasting effects of the media coverage of Vietnam can be seen in the reporting of every war since and unrestricted media access will most likely not be seen again in any future conflict.
However, although its impact was such, is it fair to suggest that the way in which the media reported the war actually had an influence on its outcome? The debate over how much, if any, influence the media had over the war’s result has been a persistent one and is likely to continue for a long time. Many academics, war veterans, military and government officials and citizens believe that the media played a near critical role in shaping the public’s attitudes towards the events in Vietnam and the course of the war itself. Others argue that Vietnam - media theory is a myth that deserves immediate debunking. In this essay I will examine any evidence that supports the media influence theory and look at
There are only two comprehensive inferences that can be drawn upon when assessing the impact and legacy of the reporting of the Vietnam War on America and its media; the impact was enormous and its legacy unending. More than thirty years have passed since the American military withdrew from Vietnam, and in that time, the war has continued to permeate the cultural, and political landscape of America, impacting all subsequent war reporting and shaping the way in which the Government and the people of the country (and the rest of the world) view the media’s role within society. It was the first war where absolute freedom of the press was granted and where the technology was available to bring almost real - time media coverage to the citizens of America and the rest of the world. The lasting effects of the media coverage of Vietnam can be seen in the reporting of every war since and unrestricted media access will most likely not be seen again in any future conflict.
However, although its impact was such, is it fair to suggest that the way in which the media reported the war actually had an influence on its outcome? The debate over how much, if any, influence the media had over the war’s result has been a persistent one and is likely to continue for a long time. Many academics, war veterans, military and government officials and citizens believe that the media played a near critical role in shaping the public’s attitudes towards the events in Vietnam and the course of the war itself. Others argue that Vietnam - media theory is a myth that deserves immediate debunking. In this essay I will examine any evidence that supports the media influence theory and look at
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