The Vietnam War was and still is a decisive chapter in U.S. history. It was the longest military conflict, which on top of everything ended in defeat for the Americans. This war had an enormous impact on various spheres both in private and public life. Above all, it drastically shaped the relationship between politics and public opinion and raised questions on the role the media played during the military conflict. The Vietnam War and its perception were unprecedented in their entire dimension. In general this was due to the climate of social and political change taking place during the 1960’s and, more specifically, because of a totally new institution being embedded in this situation– television. During this decade television expanded and became the most important source of information for the people. This medium offered totally new perspectives and dimensions both of war coverage and its perception, which is clearly expressed in the following statement: “Television brought the brutality of war into the comfort of the living room”.1 The fact that there was no experience with regard to the mechanisms, methods and effects of TV war coverage made a rather experimental reporting possible. Both journalists and politicians were facing a new situation, concerning the intertwining between television, politics and the Vietnam War issue.
This paper aims at examining this interrelation by analysing the way the Vietnam War was covered by U.S. television and by looking at the consequences of this coverage. This examination shall provide answers to questions asking for the impact of television on public opinion, U.S. politics and the course of war. The focus is put on television, because studies and surveys have shown that more than half of the American population received their information from television newscasts, which they considered to be more reliable than the press or other media.2 In addition, there is comprehensive material on television reporting as well as profound analyses of it, which is a rather pragmatic reason for concentrating on the role of U.S. TV during the Vietnam War. This paper is concerned with the contents and characteristics of war coverage and the effect it had on the role of the media during the Vietnam War. [...]
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- 1 News Coverage on Vietnam War
- 1.1 Formal Background: Conventions, Restrictions, and Methods
- 1.2 Depiction of the Vietnam War
- 1.3 Evaluation
- 2 The Role and Impact of U.S. Television
- Conclusion
- Notes
- Bibliography
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This paper examines the interrelation between U.S. television news coverage and the Vietnam War, analyzing the way the war was portrayed and exploring the consequences of this coverage. The main objective is to answer questions regarding the impact of television on public opinion, U.S. politics, and the course of the war. The paper focuses on television due to its prominence as the primary source of information for a majority of the American population during the Vietnam War.
- The role of television in shaping public opinion during the Vietnam War.
- The impact of television news coverage on U.S. politics and the course of the war.
- The formal conventions and restrictions placed on television news reporting during the war.
- The depiction of the Vietnam War in U.S. television newscasts.
- The relationship between journalists and military officials during the war.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The first chapter explores the nature of Vietnam War coverage on U.S. television news, analyzing the formal conventions, restrictions, and methods employed by journalists. It delves into the lack of official censorship despite the military's attempts to establish informal guidelines for reporting. The chapter also examines the impact of these guidelines on journalistic objectivity and the reliance of reporters on military sources for information. Furthermore, it discusses the challenges and opportunities presented by the medium of television, highlighting the need for brevity and immediacy in reporting.
The second chapter focuses on the role of U.S. television in the context of the Vietnam War. It examines how television coverage impacted the course of the war, public opinion, and U.S. politics. This section aims to reveal the influence of television on the perception of the war by the American public and its role in shaping political debates and decisions.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The key words and focus topics of this paper include the Vietnam War, U.S. television news coverage, public opinion, U.S. politics, media censorship, journalistic conventions, and the relationship between journalists and the military.
- Quote paper
- Morena Groll (Author), 2004, Vietnam War coverage on U.S. television newscasts, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/36571
