Research On American Television Media For American Social And Political Influence During The Vietnam War

From 1960 s to 1970 s,the American television media developed rapidly,ushered in a golden period and played an important role in the Vietnam war.Some people still attributed the failure of the United States in the Vietnam War to the reports of the American television media.So the influence of American television media can never be ignored.Based on the historical research methods and referring to the relevant theories and methods of journalism and communication,the thesis investigates and studies the influence of television media on American society and politics during the Vietnam war.To clarify the role of the TV media in the war by analyzing and exploring whether the content and attitude of the TV coverage is an intrinsic motivation to the war,this thesis aims to make more systemic and scientific explanation of the impact of television media on American society and politics.The chapter is divided into three parts.In the first part,the development of American TV industry in the early years of Vietnam is summarized according to the timeline,which shows that the important role of the American TV media in the war is attributed to a sound social environment for the development of American TV media.The second part is the main body of the thesis.In this part,the influence of the TV media to American society is analyzed in three aspects.In the first place,television media is gradually mature during the process of reporting the Vietnam war.With the television coverage to the war has experienced different stages ranging from positive attitude to negative attitude and then to pessimistic attitude,the Vietnam war in the eyes of the American audience is also changed from a patriotic war to a long-lasting war of attrition.Second,as television journalists report more and more about the Vietnam war,the government's lies about the war are exposed.Complying with their professional morality,the TV media will not accord with the government on their reports.The TV media becomes a platform for public to express discontent and display differences within the government.Thereby,the public opinion,both in American public and the establishment,turns to anti-war.Finally,some typical coverage on Vietnam war is selected to further discuss the influence of TV media on the formulation and implementation of the Vietnam policy during this period.During the war,TV media also plays a role of "fourth power",which restricts the power of the President of the United States to a certain extent and maintains the "Separation of Three Powers" system of the United States.The third part is a conclusion onthe whole passage.It summarizes the three internal causes of television media's influence on American society and politics,and interprets the influence of TV media in different periods.