Why was it problematic to cover the Vietnam War as an American journalist?

Some believe that the media played a large role in the U.S. defeat. They argue that the media’s tendency toward negative reporting helped to undermine support for the war in the United States while its uncensored coverage provided valuable information to the enemy in Vietnam.

How did the media impact the Vietnam War?

Americans could see military abuses on television, such as the My Lai Massacre in 1968, which sparked riots in cities and university campuses across the nation. This outrage, fueled by television coverage, ultimately led to the decision to withdrawal of U.S. troops in 1973, and end of the U.S involvement in the war.

Why did the US view the Vietnam War as a failure?

Although a number of factors and influences, domestic and international, contributed to America’s defeat in Vietnam, the overriding reason the United States lost the war was one that has often fueled nations’ losing military efforts throughout history: the fundamental error in strategic judgment called “refighting the …

Was the Vietnam War televised?

When they could see and hear it in their living rooms, they turned against it. attitudes toward the Vietnam War, there is historical evidence that calls into question the conventional wisdom about its influence. Vietnam was the first televised war; it was by no means the first unpopular American war.

How was the media coverage of the Vietnam War different from the coverage of previous wars?

Television news coverage of Vietnam showed far fewer images of death than the newsreels had in the previous wars. We also found that newsreel coverage of dead combatants was even more graphic in its depictions of death than was CNN’s coverage of the invasion of Iraq.

How did the war change journalism?

They dramatically transformed how armies conducted warfare and how newspapers and magazines did journalism. Bigger, faster printing presses allowed yesterday’s battle news to be published in today’s newspaper or next week’s illustrated weekly. In 1861, the New York Herald topped 100,000 in daily circulation.

Why did public opinion about the Vietnam War change?

As reports from the field became increasingly accessible to citizens, public opinion began to turn against U.S. involvement, though many Americans continued to support it. Others felt betrayed by their government for not being truthful about the war. This led to an increase in public pressure to end the war.

Did we lose the Vietnam War?

The United States forces did not lose, they left. America lost approximately 59,000 dead during the Vietnam War, yet the NVA/VC lost 924,048. America had 313,616 wounded; the NVA/VC had approximately 935,000 wounded. North Vietnam signed a truce on Jan.

How did television reporting on the Vietnam War affect American public opinion?

How did television affect the Vietnam War in Australia?

Television, magazine and newspaper pictures provided the major source of visual imagery during the war. Television, in particular, changed the way in which Australians received images of conflict with its ability to show audiences graphic film footage of events almost as soon as they occurred.

How did the Civil War affect journalism?

The telegraph, which was used heavily by the press during the Civil War, had a long-lasting effect on journalism. With a lack of guidelines on how the military would work with the press, both Union and Confederate governments and armies restricted reporting and closed newspapers, causing tension with the press.