JAMM 445JAMM 445

History of Mass MediaHistory of Mass Media

Media Coverage of War: Media Coverage of War: VietnamVietnam

Thank-you cardThank-you card

Please sign card for Prof. Joseph Please sign card for Prof. Joseph Campbell for speaking to our class Campbell for speaking to our class about Murrow & McCarthyabout Murrow & McCarthy

Schedule updateSchedule update

Today: VietnamToday: Vietnam– Voices, Voices, pp. 450-456; GIW, ch. 4: Cronkite pp. 450-456; GIW, ch. 4: Cronkite

Monday: Persian Gulf WarsMonday: Persian Gulf Wars– Voices, Voices, 528-530; GIW, ch. 9: Jessica Lynch528-530; GIW, ch. 9: Jessica Lynch

Wednesday: Advertising’s Golden AgeWednesday: Advertising’s Golden Age– Guest speaker: Jim ClarkGuest speaker: Jim Clark

Friday, April 28: Exam 2 (2Friday, April 28: Exam 2 (2ndnd half of sem.) half of sem.) Week of May 2: Oral-history presentationsWeek of May 2: Oral-history presentations

Schedule UpdateSchedule Update

Today: Study guide for 2nd examToday: Study guide for 2nd exam– E-mailed to class rosterE-mailed to class roster

Saturday: Lecture outlines posted Saturday: Lecture outlines posted on website: on website: www.class.uidaho.edu/jamm444

JAMM 100JAMM 100 55

Student Course EvaluationsStudent Course Evaluations

On-line at: On-line at: http://www.webs.uidaho.edu/studentevals/

Last day to participate: Sunday, May 8Last day to participate: Sunday, May 8 Please answer open-ended questionsPlease answer open-ended questions

– Assess guest speakers, oral-history projectAssess guest speakers, oral-history project

Discussion questionsDiscussion questions

Please write down on a half-sheetPlease write down on a half-sheet1.1. What memories (people, images, What memories (people, images,

songs, movies) do you have of the songs, movies) do you have of the Vietnam era?Vietnam era?

2.2. How was this war different from How was this war different from previous U.S. wars?previous U.S. wars?

3.3. What parallels do you see between What parallels do you see between Vietnam and the current war in Vietnam and the current war in Iraq?Iraq?

Vietnam imagesVietnam images

Vietnam in Vietnam in popular popular cultureculture

U.S. and VietnamU.S. and Vietnam

“It became a war like no other, a war with no front line, no easily identifiable enemy, no simply explained cause, no clearly designated villain on whom to focus the nation’s hate, no menace to the homeland, no need for general sacrifice, and therefore, no nationwide fervor of patriotism.”

--Philip Knightley, Author, The First Casualty

Contrast to World Contrast to World War IIWar II

American consensus on justification for war– Germany, Japan widely seen as

threats to world security U.S. political leaders

unified U.S. media supported war

effort with reporting, photos, editorials

War lasted only 3½ years

The Media in The Media in VietnamVietnam“Vietnam was a new kind of war and

required a new kind of war correspondent. It was an interdisciplinary war, where complex political issues intruded on the military aspects, where battle success was necessary but where battle success alone was insufficient, a war where unwarranted optimism, propaganda, and news management could deeply obscure the issue.”

--Philip Knightley

U.S. and VietnamU.S. and Vietnam

1964: Gulf of Tonkin resolution

1965: Massive bombing of North Vietnam

1967: 486,000 U.S. troops in Vietnam

1968: TET offensive– Video: Vietnam, a

Television History

TET offensiveTET offensive

January 1968 (Lunar New Year) N. Vietnam, Viet Cong attack targets

throughout S. Vietnam Attacks briefly threatened U.S.

Embassy U.S. reporters based in Saigon

covered events close to their bureaus

TET casualtiesTET casualties

Jan. 29-March 31, 1968 4,009 - United States and allies 4,954 - South Vietnamese troops 58,373 - North Vietnam and Viet

Cong 14,300 - South Vietnamese civilians

TET offensiveTET offensive U.S. Gen. Westmoreland

claimed military victory...

…But TV showed strength of Viet Cong, North Vietnamese army

Pentagon asked for 200,000 more troops

War became campaign issue in 1968 election

TET analysisTET analysis

“For the American press, the combination of high drama and low national understanding created a monumental challenge in Vietnam – and the press, like the government, was ill-equipped to meet it…”

--Don Oberdorfer, Washington Post

Tet: The Turning Point in the Vietnam War

Walter CronkiteWalter Cronkite

Anchor, CBS Evening NewsAnchor, CBS Evening News Feb. 11, 1968: went to Feb. 11, 1968: went to

Vietnam for one weekVietnam for one week Feb. 27: half-hour special Feb. 27: half-hour special

Report From VietnamReport From Vietnam Ended with commentary: Ended with commentary:

“To say we are mired in “To say we are mired in stalemate seems the only stalemate seems the only realistic… conclusion.”realistic… conclusion.”

Cronkite’s conclusionCronkite’s conclusion

““It is increasingly clear to this It is increasingly clear to this reporter that the only rational reporter that the only rational way out, then, will be to way out, then, will be to negotiate -- not as victors, negotiate -- not as victors, but as an honorable people but as an honorable people who lived up to their pledge who lived up to their pledge to defend democracy and to defend democracy and did the best they could.”did the best they could.”

--Walter Cronkite, 1968--Walter Cronkite, 1968

The mythThe myth

““If I’ve lost Walter Cronkite, I’ve If I’ve lost Walter Cronkite, I’ve lost the American people.”lost the American people.”

----Lyndon B. Johnson, 1968, before Lyndon B. Johnson, 1968, before deciding not to run for re-election*deciding not to run for re-election*

*Source of quote ??? *Source of quote ???

VIDEO: Cronkite looks back VIDEO: Cronkite looks back http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDNJL0mTHWI

Campbell’s viewCampbell’s view

LBJ not at the White House on night of LBJ not at the White House on night of CBS broadcast (Feb. 27, 1968)CBS broadcast (Feb. 27, 1968)

American public opinion had already American public opinion had already turned against the war (before TET)turned against the war (before TET)

LBJ’s advisors convinced him U.S. LBJ’s advisors convinced him U.S. military venture had failed, new strategy military venture had failed, new strategy neededneeded

Campbell’s viewCampbell’s view

““The evidence … demonstrates that the The evidence … demonstrates that the ‘Cronkite moment’ is a media-driven ‘Cronkite moment’ is a media-driven myth. It was … not a moment when a myth. It was … not a moment when a single newscast changed the course of single newscast changed the course of history. … Not unlike the Murrow-history. … Not unlike the Murrow-McCarthy myth, the ‘Cronkite moment’ McCarthy myth, the ‘Cronkite moment’ parlayed coincidental but propitious parlayed coincidental but propitious timing into enduring recognition.”timing into enduring recognition.”

Media and Public OpinionMedia and Public Opinion

“The later years of Vietnam are a remarkable testimony to the restraining power of routine and ideology of objectivism. ... Most television coverage was dispassionate; ‘advocacy journalism’ made no real inroads into network television.”

--Daniel Hallin, historian

U.S. and VietnamU.S. and Vietnam

1968: Nixon elected president 1973: Cease-fire signed 1974: Most U.S. troops withdraw 1975: South Vietnam’s government

falls to North Vietnam; country reunified

Possible essay questionsPossible essay questions

How did coverage of the Vietnam War influence public opinion?– How did TV coverage make this

different than previous wars? What lessons did the media learn

from this war?– What lessons did the Pentagon learn?

Quote of the DayQuote of the Day

““I see a very close parallel I see a very close parallel [between Iraq and Vietnam]. … [between Iraq and Vietnam]. … I'm not saying Iraq is hopeless, I'm not saying Iraq is hopeless, but we are facing an intensifying but we are facing an intensifying guerrilla war, and it is taking a guerrilla war, and it is taking a great deal of our people and great deal of our people and treasury.” treasury.”

--Walter Cronkite, Feb. 12, 2004--Walter Cronkite, Feb. 12, 2004

Reading for next weekReading for next week

Monday: Persian Gulf WarsMonday: Persian Gulf Wars– Voices, Voices, 528-530; GIW, ch. 9: Jessica Lynch528-530; GIW, ch. 9: Jessica Lynch

Look for study guide via e-mail Look for study guide via e-mail todaytoday

Please sign thank-you card for Please sign thank-you card for Joseph CampbellJoseph Campbell

Turn in half-sheets about VietnamTurn in half-sheets about Vietnam