...What role do the media play in forming public opinion? (Choose an example and explore the question with relevance to that example) Contents Executive Summary page 2 Research Question page 2 Research page 2 Literature Review page 3 Findings page 4 Discussion page 5 Conclusion page 6 Reference List page 6 Executive Summary This report explores the question of what role the United States (U.S.) television media played in forming public opinion on the Vietnam War. The research, based on reviewing other primary and secondary sources, shows various opposing theories regarding this subject. Firstly, that television media was blamed for the U.S. loss in Vietnam. As Vietnam was the first televised war, it was argued that television swayed public support for the war by projecting the footage of conflict into the lounge rooms of Americans. One counter-theme showed that other factors such as opposition to the prolonged war and military policy were more likely to have changed public opinion. This report discusses how television media during the Vietnam war was just one aspect of how the public would have formed an opinion on such a complex issue, however concludes that further research is required to arrive at a definitive argument on such a controversial topic. Research Question This report explores what role the media played in forming public opinion within the U.S., regarding America’s involvement in the Vietnam War...
Words: 1918 - Pages: 8
...In an article, Robert Elegant, a former Vietnam War reporter, wrote: "For the first time in modern history, the outcome of a war was determined not on the battlefield but on the printed page and, above all, on the television screen . . . never before Vietnam had the collective policy --no less stringent a term will serve--sought, by graphic and unremitting distortion, the victory of the enemies of the correspondents' own side." His point of view on the war summarized the effect of media on ending the Vietnam War. To obtain understandable on the roles that media played during this war, it is important to first explore the history of the war. The longest war in the history, a proxy war between those that support communism and those that did not. The United States supported the South against the North that advocated for communism. In 1954, Eisenhower wrote a letter to Ngo Dinh Diem offered to aid Diem in preventing Vietnam from being a communist country. Following Eisenhower’s promise to Diem, Kennedy aided South Vietnam with military support to fight against North Vietnam. The Vietnam War was a catastrophic since it fought against itself and destroyed its own people. It is significant to take notice of the fact that at the beginning many Americans supported United States in this war. Many Anti-war protests occurred on college campus across the nation because of events like the Tet Offensive and My Lai Massacre. United States finally withdrawn in 1973. Therefore, without the media...
Words: 1641 - Pages: 7
...The role of the media in the Vietnam War Media brought the horrors of the Vietnam War into everyone’s house. It showed people the sensational news that were going on in Vietnam during the war. This caused people to have a wrong opinion about the war, soldiers, and what their country was fighting for. For example, Richard M. Nixon said “No event in American history is more misunderstood than the Vietnam War. It was misreported then, and it is misremembered now”. Even though, the media was broadcasting some parts of the war instead of the whole picture, it was better than it used to be. During fifties, people were able to get visual information about the war only in theaters; therefore, it was mostly based on propaganda and not truth. In early sixties, 90 percent of the United States population had TV in their house and they were able to get information about the war. This caused people to create some effective anti- war movements that helped to bring this horrifying war to an end. Television coverage of the war was not balanced and objective. It was not showing the big picture of the war and the truth about it. Television was broadcasting only some sensational news about the war and that influenced American citizens in a bad way. Media almost never mentioned what communism was; therefore, people did not know what their country was fighting for and why so many innocent people were dying. Moreover, American people did not know what should...
Words: 934 - Pages: 4
...Phoenix University History 135 Instructor, Student, Assignment: Significant events in the decades after World War II Due date, Preface Americans faced many challenges in their lives; challenges on a variety of fronts shattered the American consensus. In the 50s, African Americans launched a crusade, joined later by other minority groups and women, for a larger share of the American dream. In the 60s, politically active students protested the nation's role abroad, particularly in the corrosive war in Vietnam, and a youth counterculture challenged the status quo of American values. Americans from many walks of life sought to establish a new equilibrium in the United States, the following time synopsis will shed some light on turning points in our American history. * 1940s, Civil Rights, a time for change. Harry Truman supported the civil rights movement. He believed in political equality, though not in social equality, and recognized the growing importance of the black urban vote. When apprised in 1946 of lynching’s and other forms of mob violence still practiced in the South, he appointed a committee on civil rights to investigate discrimination based on race and religion. The report, issued the next year, documented blacks' second-class status in American life. It asserted the need for the federal government to secure the rights guaranteed to all citizens. Truman responded by sending a 10-point civil rights program to Congress. When Southern Democrats...
Words: 2010 - Pages: 9
...Thalia Capilla July 26, 2014 POSC146: Mass Media and Public Opinion Thalia Capilla POSC 146 Justin Nelson Downfall of News Coverage In Depicting War The ideal news coverage is a mirror image of reality, thousands of Americans tune in to their local or national news channel for quality coverage and accuracy. In the 1960’s Vietnam became the first war to be televised, resulting in a large disapproval rating on the war. However, the American people saw the truth and gave their opinion. Today the media is nowhere near the ideal news coverage, being characterized as corporate, concentrated and conglomerate. News Media is a profit making enterprise owned by a few companies. So what changed? How did the media evolve into something so filtered by the government? In this Literature Review I will cover how international affairs and war coverage quality has drastically declined to fit corporate news norms. It sacrifices quality over quantity, framing the American people. News media in a democracy should provide a forum for diverse views and provide the people with the truth of what is happening around the world, (McLeod 2009). That is what I would like shed light on in this paper. News framing, agenda setting and priming are broadly examined by Scheufelel and Tewksbury (2007) to see how all three are related and what the potential relationships can infer about the effects of mass media. This is an important analysis as these three components of the subtle effects model can...
Words: 3579 - Pages: 15
...Abstract This paper discusses how the Vietnam Conflict impacted American society. The topics explored involve how the U.S. was affected socially, economically, and politically. Impact of Vietnam Conflict on American Society The enormity of the damage caused by the Vietnam Conflict is still felt in American society today. While public attitude toward Vietnam Veterans is changing, and faith in the military has returned, there is still a lot of skepticism toward the U.S. Federal Government. Americans don’t want to send their sons and daughters into another seemingly pointless war. One of the major consequences on U.S. society created by the Vietnam Conflict was the enormous strain on the American economy, due to the estimated $167 billion spent on the war. Inflation and increasing federal debt had a major negative effect on the US economy and seriously lowered living standards from the late 1960’s until the 1990’s. Another consequence on society was the public rejection of the war and the soldiers who fought in it. Vietnam vets were considered vicious killers, immoral human beings, drug addicts; they were treated like the lowest form of human existence ("Cold war in," 2011). The Vietnam conflict was a viewed as a devastating loss and resulted in a loss of pride and self- confidence in the American people. The U.S. experienced a reappraisal of American power and glory. At the beginning of the war the American public supported it, because they believed it was part...
Words: 848 - Pages: 4
...in the Vietnam Conflict was neither justifiable nor demonstrative of sound judgment by the American government. Many books, magazines, and other forms of commentary on the Vietnam War have surfaced in the half century since the war’s end. Historian and author Stanley Karnow suggests that such publications generally attempt to make sense of the horrific “war that nobody won” (Karnow 9). It is a subject that will continue endlessly to divide historians and others as they attempt to draw lessons from the conflict that might then be used to justify, condemn, or promote America’s involvement in modern day Vietnams. Because of the magnitude of complexities surrounding the war, some may find it difficult to formulate an unwavering opinion about the war’s causes and effects. According to Robert McNamara, who served as Secretary of Defense for Presidents Kennedy and Johnson, mankind has often struggled to find solutions to even simple problems related to the unification of values and ideologies spanning diverse cultures (McNamara 323). In order to fairly judge why the American government put our troops in the jungles, swamps, and fields of Vietnam, one might first closely examine why our government claims to have committed our troops to Vietnam. One of the reasons most adamantly advanced by our government to justify a full scale assault on the Vietcong of North Vietnam was an incident that is said to have occurred in the Gulf of Tonkin. The Gulf of Tonkin boarders Vietnam and was...
Words: 3484 - Pages: 14
...red dye no.2 which they thought could cause cancer so they stopped using it. I also learned that the year of the bicentennial means the 200 anniversary of a nation (or anything) and of course the end of the Vietnam war which had caused so much protesting and pain to so many people. 1970 - At Kent State University, National Guardsmen fire into a crowd killing four student antiwar demonstrators on Monday, May 4, 1970. The guardsmen fired 67 rounds over a period of 13 seconds, killing four students and wounding nine others, one of whom suffered permanent paralysis. Some of the students who were shot had been protesting against the American invasion of Cambodia, which President Richard Nixon announced in a television address on April 30. Other students who were shot had been walking nearby or observing the protest from a distance. There was a significant national response to the shootings: hundreds of universities, colleges, and high schools closed throughout the United States due to a student strike of four million students, and the event further affected the public opinion—at an already socially contentious time—over the role of the United States in the Vietnam War. 1971- The Year the Pentagon Papers are released - pentagon papers - A classified study of the Vietnam War that was carried out by the Department of Defense. An official of the department, Daniel Ellsberg, gave copies of the study in 1971 to the New York Times and Washington Post . The Supreme Court upheld the...
Words: 590 - Pages: 3
...The Vietnam War The War in Vietnam remains a controversial topic. It is considered a war of waste, due to the amount of casualties, the duration of the war, and the money spent to fund it. America’s role in the Vietnam War went from sending assistance to South Vietnam to eventually having to intervene. The mission of the U.S. soldiers in South Vietnam was compared to the same mission of the Europeans, such as Casmir Pulaski, who assisted America in its fight for liberty. During a press conference on June 23, 1964 President Lyndon Johnson stated,” This is not a jungle war, but a struggle for freedom on every front of human activity (Lansdale, 1964, p. 78).” America felt that they were obligated to fight the war against communism in Vietnam. Overtime, the war had a huge impact on Americans and the economy. Through advanced technology such as satellites and light weight cameras it was possible for media coverage on the battlefield; oftentimes with disturbing displays of slain soldiers, civilians, and growing numbers of causalities. Public opinions of the Vietnam War would become negative, making Vietnam, America’s most despised war. America has always been a skilled army, the intentions of the U.S. army was to weaken the army of the North Vietnam by using a strategy they called “attrition”. The U.S. believed they could cause so much damage and inflict so many casualties, that eventually the North Vietnamese would surrender (Brinkley, 2007). “The attrition strategy...
Words: 1025 - Pages: 5
...1. What were the primary roles of media delivering news to the public during the Vietnam War? One of the main roles is providing correct and accurate news. Media are different in each country, so they handle information in several ways; some emphasize the behavior of people and some others the way they live. The way of transmitting news, and the way of talking about those news shows the way people get informed. Although the responsibility of media is to inform real stories, they must be aware about the way they are impacting our minds. Nevertheless, the main goal of media is achieved since they do have an impact on modern society, whether good or bad. 2. What were the significant result of immediate news media delivery on our culture? Since media is nowadays the most important source which is feasibly accessible by all people through several devices, such as television, radio, Internet, appliances, etc, it is said that the world is getting used to using news media as an important part of their lives. The significance of immediate news media delivery on culture is that media is implementing and reinforcing new ideas and new ways to act. Immediate news is a form of expression, a form to get informed and a way to tell us how to live and what to think. 3. What were the outside influences on our media during the Vietnam War that helped perpetuate the destruction of our social culture towards the military? News media must provide individuals with accurate information and...
Words: 354 - Pages: 2
...The anti-Vietnam war movement in the late 1900’s played an incredibly important role in American history due to the powerful combination of young students with drive, radical leaders, and the way the movement aimed to involve the whole country. The Kent State Shooting was a major catalyst for the anti-Vietnam war efforts and could be considered a symbol for the movement because it exemplified the incredible ambition of the movement’s supporters but also the tension and violence which arose as a result of it. The Vietnam War was the most unpopular war in United States (US) history. This was due to many factors: its length, arguably unnecessary amount of death and destruction (in the US and Vietnam), and the establishment of aggressive media coverage for anti-war protests. It was essentially a proxy war between the United States and Soviet Union. Following a policy of containment designed to keep Communism from spreading, the United States provided military and financial support for the anti-Communists in South Vietnam. Opposing them was North Vietnam, which at the time was primarily controlled by the Vietcong, Communist-led guerrilla fighters. By 1963, the US had...
Words: 1325 - Pages: 6
...turning points during War World II and through the 1970’s while analyzing the impact the war had on America’s current society, economy, politics and culture. I will also discuss why America in the late 1930’s wanted to stay out of the European conflict that became WWII, which is one of the greatest debates of all time. We examine the important role that women played in winning the war and what outcomes came from their hard work that impacted women today. Many civil rights movements developed during this time also, and we discuss many breakthroughs that moved African Americans forward because of the war. I will describe ways in which the Vietnam War brought political awareness to a new generation of young Americans and to conclude I talk about President’s Johnson’s “Great Society” agenda that are still in place today that we benefit from if it had not been for the war. All these things are what make WWII known for the Greatest War of all time even after World War I. The war prompted a tremendous mobilization of American resources, at a level unseen since the Civil War. Long-quiet industries were revitalized, the agricultural sector started to grow again, and the American economy ramped up from that of the low production of the Great Depression years to the most powerful economy in the world. The economy showed the most remarkable improvement. World War II initiated the most significant federal management of the economy in American History. When the war began, President Roosevelt...
Words: 1474 - Pages: 6
...media has honed the power of this technology, and become more pervasive than anything humanity has ever encountered. Looking at antiwar movements over the last 60 years, the media has been used to influence the mentality of millions in two very dichotomous ways. Meaning, the media has helped shape public opinion to be either for or against these movements depending on the pressures and demands of the times. Traditionally, print media industry has treated antiwar protestors as if they were disobedient children. In movies such as Across the Universe, protestors are portrayed as young hippies who do not fully understand the rationale and benefits behind war. Often the media presents us with one-sided information that is meant to persuade us to accept a message that we are not familiar. In the case of antiwar protests back in the Vietnam Era, the media while covering the issue equally with government/military administration, often only covered the more colorful aspects of the antiwar movement. While articles have been published about the tendency of the media during this time to be in favor of the antiwar sentiment, many scholars believe that print media in particular impacted the success of the movement. Antiwar movements are often conceived by the media as a form of dissent, and are further admonished by the government, and labeled as unpatriotic. While the Antiwar movement of the 1960s was ultimately extremely Mass Media Messages 3 successful, the media scrupulously covered the issue...
Words: 1469 - Pages: 6
...The Causes of the Vietnam War The Vietnam War is now considered as one of the most distressing moments during the 20th Century. The Vietnam War was caused by many factors that contributed to the war in Vietnam during the years of 1959 to April 30, 1975. This war just prolonged the struggles between nationalist forces attempting to unify the country of Vietnam. Most of the factors that contribute to the war were the beliefs by a lot of people who wanted to prevent Vietnam of becoming an Independent Country. There are many people who suffered a lot due to this war going on and still due to this day people still picturing how they fought the war. What were the causes of the Vietnam War? Why did the United States become involved in this war? Why did the Vietnam War have such a huge impact both on the Vietnam and the United States? What was the impact that Ho Chi Minh had during the War? One of the most important features when describing the Vietnam War was why the United States became involved in the war, and their reasons for conflict amongst the Vietnamese in the North of the 17th Parallel. It is known that the US was involved for many reasons, particularly their belief in the Domino theory where if one country fell to Communism, the rest of South-East Asia would fall along with it. There are many other reasons why the United States became involved in this war. There are many reasons why the United States became involved was them being concerned with Vietnam and that would lead...
Words: 2042 - Pages: 9
...What in your view was the short-term significance of Martin Luther King to the Civil Rights Movement? Martin Luther King’s (MLK) short-term significance to the Civil Rights Movement (CRM) can be attributed to his non-violence and his unique relationships with the media and the President. These relationships played a key role in MLK’s and the CRM’s success. We should also not ignore the role played by global politics of the time. The circumstances were such that the CRM may have succeeded even without the assistance of MLK. In order to assess the short-term significance of King to the CRM, we must determine, was it MLK or rather the international situation that led to the successes of the Civil Rights Movement? Word Count – 502 MLK’s significance to the CRM stemmed from his use of non-violence as a tactic to achieve social change. Non-violence served as King’s ideology and methodology, and contributed to King’s significance. Non-violence being met with naked aggression and racism was showcased by the media and condemned by the government. Although several other civil rights leaders, such as Ralph Abernathy, possessed Christian credentials, MLK coupled these credentials with his non-violence and positive relationship with the media. In January 1960 a bomb was thrown on King’s porch and an armed mob gathered that was dispersed only by King’s insistence on calm. A white police officer on the scene remarked, “If it hadn’t been for that nigger preacher, we’d all be dead”. This quote...
Words: 2262 - Pages: 10
