Media Coverage and Public Opinion in the USA Flashcards

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What is meant by Vietnam being called the first "living-room war"?

It was the first war where many Americans watched film of the fighting on television in their homes almost every day.

How did most US media report the Vietnam War in the early 1960s?

At first, many newspapers and TV channels supported the war and repeated the government view that the USA was stopping communism and doing well.

What is a "credibility gap" in the context of the Vietnam War?

It was the growing difference between what the US government said about the war and what the public believed after seeing media reports.

How did television images of dead and wounded US soldiers affect public opinion?

Regular pictures of body bags and injured soldiers made many Americans feel the human cost was too high and turned some people against the war.

How did media coverage of the Tet Offensive in 1968 change attitudes to the war?

News reports showed Vietcong attacks in many South Vietnamese cities, so people began to doubt government claims that victory was close.

Why was media coverage of the My Lai massacre important for US public opinion?

When reporters revealed that US soldiers had killed hundreds of unarmed villagers at My Lai, it shocked many Americans. It increased anger and opposition to the war.

Who was Walter Cronkite and why was he important in 1968?

He was a very trusted US TV newsreader who said after visiting Vietnam that the war seemed unwinnable, which helped turn more Americans against it.

How did media coverage help the anti-war movement in the USA?

TV and newspapers showed peace marches, protest songs and clashes with police, which spread the anti-war message and made the movement seem larger and stronger.

How did the US government try to influence media coverage of the Vietnam War?

Officials held regular press briefings and gave optimistic reports about progress, hoping journalists would repeat their version of events.

What were "body counts" and how did reporting them affect views of the war?

They were official figures for enemy soldiers killed. At first they were used to show success, but over time they made the war seem brutal and never-ending.

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