The Fall of Public Opinion: The Tet Offensive, the Anti-War Movement, and the Media, 1963-1975

Author

Taylor Ann Cusick, Pittsburg State UniversityFollow

Date of Award

Fall 12-15-2023

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

History

First Advisor

Dr. Kris L. Lawson

Second Advisor

Dr. John L.S. Daley

Third Advisor

Mr. Steve Brown

Keywords

Vietnam War, Antiwar Movement, Media, Selective Service System, College Students

Abstract

From 1963 to 1975, public opinion regarding the Vietnam War changed drastically. In the beginning, the public was largely on board with Americans going overseas to fight against the North Vietnamese military. Citizens felt the American military was doing what was necessary to secure democracy in a region where communism was spreading, and the public was not easily swayed by those who opposed the war. The media mirrored public opinion during the first years of the war. By 1968, support for the war declined dramatically, and the media’s portrayal of the conflict reversed. Newscasters began to argue that the risk was simply not worth the reward, and the media broadcast the chaos in Vietnam for the TV-viewing public. Anti-war opposition might have prompted that change in the media’s coverage, but developments in Vietnam finally changed the public’s opinion of the war in 1968.

In this thesis, I argue that, with the support of the media, the Tet Offensive was more effective in turning the public’s viewpoint of the war from positive to negative. While the antiwar movement and the adoption of a draft lottery system were prevalent concerns for American youth, the public was not as responsive to those developments as it was to the Tet Offensive. The antiwar movement did affect the change in public opinion, as the media consistently reported the movement’s activities in conjunction with the increasing number of American casualties in Southeast Asia.

Recommended Citation

Cusick, Taylor Ann, "The Fall of Public Opinion: The Tet Offensive, the Anti-War Movement, and the Media, 1963-1975" (2023). Electronic Theses & Dissertations. 466.
https://digitalcommons.pittstate.edu/etd/466