The American Media's Transformation
The US media had begun to stray away from their support of the war effort, but after Tet, there was a distinctive change. Before Tet, journalists described 62% of their stories as being victories for the US, 28% as defeats and 2% as inconclusive. After Tet, they described 44% as victories, 32% as defeats and 24% inconclusive. This was significant since the actual trajectory of the wars had not changed in either direction. Also, after Tet, combat scenes became more graphic and more “innocent” child deaths were shown on television.
Before Tet, civilian deaths were shown 0.85 times per week. After Tet, they were shown 3.9 times. Military causalities shown on television rose from 2.4 times a week to 6.8 times. The biggest change was that before Tet, four stories per week were shown that were devoted to the positive morale of troops, and there were no negative stories. This changed to 2.5 positive stories per week and 14.5 negative troop morale stories shown per week. Most of these negative references to troops included drug use, racial conflicts and disobedience to leaders.
Before Tet, civilian deaths were shown 0.85 times per week. After Tet, they were shown 3.9 times. Military causalities shown on television rose from 2.4 times a week to 6.8 times. The biggest change was that before Tet, four stories per week were shown that were devoted to the positive morale of troops, and there were no negative stories. This changed to 2.5 positive stories per week and 14.5 negative troop morale stories shown per week. Most of these negative references to troops included drug use, racial conflicts and disobedience to leaders.
"Bui Tin, who served on the general staff of the North Vietnamese army, received South Vietnam's unconditional surrender on April 30, 1975. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal after his retirement, he made clear the anti-war movement in the United States, which led to the collapse of political will in Washington, was 'essential to our strategy.' Visits to Hanoi by Jane Fonda and former Attorney General Ramsey Clark and various church ministers 'gave us confidence that we should hold on in the face of battlefield reverses.' |
"In 1965, more than 60 percent of Americans told public opinion surveys that sending troops to Vietnam was not a mistake. Over the next three years, that support steadily fell. By late 1967, more people thought the war was a mistake than not." |
"[T]he press acted—and could well again act—as a multiplier of the prejudices of the Western intelligentsia, whose tender conscience moves it to condemn the actions of its own side while condoning related deeds of enemies who are either 'immature' or 'feel themselves threatened.' " |
"To say we are closer to victory today is to believe . . . optimists who have been wrong in the past. To suggest we are on the edge of a defeat is to yield to unreasonable pessimists. To say we are mired in stalemate seems the only realistic . . . conclusion. "
~Walter Cronkite
Said after a trip to Vietnam after Tet.
Click to Continue to "Media's Influence"