media and TV

• what media coverage was there about war?

  expanded as war continued

  -TV played large part in bringing war into US homes
• what are examples of media coverage during war?

  -Tet offensive 1968 showed Vietnamese citizens being killed

  -1969 truth broke about My lai Massacre
• why was there a increase in media coverage in Vietnam

  -as us involvement in war increased so did number of journalists covering conflict

  -increase of 900 percent in number of reporters in one year from 1964-65

  -no censorship of coverage of Vietnam war

  -war was caught on film by independent TV networks

  -Journalists had better equipment so they could capture reality of war better
• what was early media coverage of the war like?

  -positive reporting in courage of US soldiers

  -portrayed USA as good fighting bad communist north vietnam
• five o clock follies

  nickname for the regular afternoon press briefings for U.S journalists in Saigon, often characterized by reports of exaggerated enemy body counts and questionable claims of U.S victories in war. Some official pronouncements led some reporters to venture into war zones and pursue the truth
• how was the media coverage tet offensive significant in war?

  -changed publics perception of how they perceived conflict

  -US officials had been saying for months that they were winning war but media coverage contradicted it

  -Viewers saw brutality of war and did not trust what they were being told
• credibility gap


  American public's growing distrust of statements made by the government during the Vietnam War
• Who is Walter Conkite?


  Famous news broadcaster
• How was Walter Conkite viewed in America?

  Seen as one of the 'most trusted men in America
• What role did Walter Conkite play in the peace movement?

  His coverage of the war played a huge role in the peace movement
• what did president Johnson say about Walter crokrite?

  -if i lose Cronkite I've lost this country
• What was the significance of my lai on war

  -damaged reps of US forces

  -US public appalled about reports of soldiers murdering civilians and Gov and army trying to cover it up
• what was the impact of media coverage on Vietnam war?

  -influenced publics opinion on war

  -anti war movement strengthened by tv coverage of conflict

  -led to lack of trust of army and gov
• rise of television


  -during Korean war only 9 percent had TVs

  -By Vietnam 93 percent did

  -TV became main way America got news
• what negative news stories came out after Tet offensive?

  -stories about poor morale and behaviour of troops

  -such as my lai massacre

  -stories of US defeats

  -NYT leaked secret reports in 1971

  -confirmed suspicions that gov had been lying about US involvement in war