American Valor Quarterly Issue 1 - Winter 2007 | Page 26
A large amount of the pre-election reporting in 1968 was
concerned with domestic opinions and political conflicts
that disregarded the war itself as well as the politics of
South Vietnam. To say that there was no coverage of
military action in Vietnam would be not only over
exaggeration, but a disregard of the truth. The coverage
of death tolls continue as it is announced in April of 1969
that “US DEATHS IN WAR PASS KOREA TOTAL…”
Two days after this report the Vietnam War sees the front
page again with the headline “NIXON HAS BEGUN
PROGRAM TO END WAR IN VIETNAM…”
time for ending the war insisting that the “other side will
negotiate only if the U.S. backs his proposals.”
Throughout 1971 the conflict in Vietnam was front-page
news, but the news coverage still emphasized the political
conflict and differences in opinion, with little time spent
concerning the actual war. Headlines brought forward the
dissension that was felt by the American people,
“VETERANS DISCARD MEDALS IN WAR PROTEST
AT CAPITOL,” “MEMORIAL DAY OBSERVED
TRADITIONALLY AND BY PROTESTS OF WAR.”
While it is debatable as to whether these headlines were a
In the years following the Tet Offensive the belief that reflection of a popular sentiment shared by many Americans
sending troops to
or an encouragement
Vietnam was a
of anti-war protests, it
mistake grew in
is clear that the
popularity. The Kent
country was uneasy
State
shootings
with the United
illustrate the turmoil
States’ position in the
and frustration the
war.
Little
American public was
explanation
was
feeling at that time as
provided as to why
well as our general
U.S. forces entered
misunderstanding of
Cambodia and Laos
the conflict. The
and the public was
students
were
worn entering the
protesting the military
second decade of this
expansion
into
misunderstood war.
Cambodia when the
protest grew out of Political cartoon illustrating the advantage the North Vietnamese held in the restriction of By the middle of
U.S. forces from Laos and Cambodia.
hand and National
1971 many of the
Guardsmen killed
front-page stories in
four. The next morning the front page of the New York the New York Times concerned retrospective observations
Times was the headline: “4 KENT STATE STUDENTS and the publication of the Pentagon Papers. While this
KILLED BY TROOPS” accompanied by two pictures, one provided hard information to the public concerning the war,
of a student lying dead as a girl screams and another of the many of the headlines have subjective tones that focus
guardsmen in what could be misconstrued as a war zone. attention to past mistakes. “PENTEGON PAPERS:
Two days after the Kent State tragedy, the New York Times VIETNAM STUDY LINKS ’65-’66 G.I. BUILD UP TO
reported the closure of 80 colleges due to protest and FAULTY PLANNING,” and “DECEIT IN ’64 RACE
accused the Nixon Administration of “failing youth.” The DENIED BY RUSK,” are two headlines publish