Analysis Of American Media Factors In The Vietnam War

In the 1960 s,the United States has been deeply trapped in the Vietnam War.Some scholars believe that the Vietnam War was a typical “living room war”,where almost all the US public have seen the cruel and bloody images of war,reinforcing the moral disgust and anger of the people.As an important turning point in the history of Vietnam War,“Tet offensive” have forced the U.S.news media to change their positions,from the enthusiastic supporters of the Vietnam policy to the staunch opponents.Although the U.S.government won a victory in military during “Tet offensive”,they failed politically.Media reports during the “Tet offensive” sparked an anti-war public opinion in the United States,leading to a public crisis in the Johnson administration.In this study,we adopt quantitative analysis method over the report of the “Tet offensive”,in view of the traditional media(such as the New York Times)between Jan.1968 and Mar.1968.Particularly,we conduct content analysis,give descriptions about the pages,sources,orientation,emphasis,etc.,and unveil the U.S.media's opinions and attitudes towards the “Tet offensive” through statistical analysis and correlation analysis.In addition,an public opinion analysis of “Tet offensive” is conducted to further explore the propagation process of the event and the changes of public opinion,e.g.,revealing the communicator,the content of communication,media and communication audience,etc.Finally,quantitative indicators are used to measure the impact of news media coverage during the “Tet offensive”,so as to explore the role and significance of media in the Vietnam war.This article believes that the news coverage during the “Tet offensive” has accelerated the upsurge of anti-war opinion in the United States.From the perspective of communication effect,media reports have a complex impact on government decision-making,public opinion and the U.S.military.First,under the influence of anti-war public opinion,there is a polarization in the U.S.congress,and the conflict is intensified.Second,the long and bloody coverage of the war has shaken the anti-war sentiment of the American people and their dissatisfaction with the Johnson administration.Third,the continuous negative reports and the continuous increase in casualties on the battlefield have caused soldiers to be disappointed and even war-weary.It can be seen that the media coverage during the “Tet offensive” expanded the field of anti-war public opinion.The proliferation of anti-war activities drove the government to rethink their policy towards Vietnam,and to some extent,intensified the development of the war process.