Journalism and the American Policy
Journalism has always played a critical role in the society by advancing political agenda and other issues that need to be in the public domain at any particular time. However, the profession has undergone significant changes in history, at one time being totally partisan, then changing to a reliable professional in the twentieth century, and has since come under threat in the twenty-first century due to the dependence on technology for information. However, one of the roles that have been consistent throughout the years has been the spreading of important information to the society. Most importantly, it has always served as a source of information on the American lifestyle, and a gauge using which the world could evaluate the American society viewed itself and thought the world should work. Dispatches, a product of journalistic work in the Vietnam War offers important insight on the American war and international policy post-World War II, and despite the timing of the book coming later after the war, it gives a clear insight of the American policy and the role played by the media in the issues.
In Dispatches, Herr (1987) categorically indicates that “sitting in Saigon was like sitting inside the folded petals of a poisonous flower” (p. 35). The assertion serves as an allegory that could be akin to being in an environment that could appear to be appealing from the outside, but only those within the said environment completely understand the peril therein. Essentially, the American involvement in Vietnam escalated the conflict in the country from a mere civil conflict between two parties to a fully-fledged war once President Johnson took over leadership from President Kennedy. Consequently, the events of the war were a clear sign that the United States was committed to the Marshal Plan by President Truman, and would do everything to present the expansion of communist ideas by the Soviet Union. However, the effort came at the expense of the American soldiers in Vietnam, who had to navigate the unknown Vietnamese territory amid shells and bombings from the North Vietnamese army and southern insurgents.
Journalism on the frontlines was one of the only ways that information about the events on the frontline would get to the Americans back home. However, the support at home for the war was significantly dismal, with the protests against involvement in Vietnam reaching fever pitch in the 1960s. According to Hall (2004) “complaints about U.S policy in Vietnam occasionally arose in the early 1960s.” Essentially, people at home viewed the war as unnecessary, with the media playing a critical role in advancing information about the war to the public. Consequently, the interaction between the media and the public was consequential in making clear the view among Americans on the country’s War and foreign policy at the time. There was no internet or social media at the time using which President Johnson could communicate to the Americans on issues related to the war and its necessity, which left the media and the journalists as key players through whom the people could express their opinion regarding actions by the government.
Dispatches offer a perspective of the Vietnam War from the warfront, and the experiences of the American troops in the country. Despite obeying the command, the troops had their opinions of the war, which when combined with the perspectives of those at home provide important insight of the Americans’ view of how the country ought to have related with the international society. Essentially, the citizens were significantly vocal about the appropriate policies, which necessitated an exchange between the stakeholders that was facilitated by the press. Consequently, the press played a critical role in exemplifying the American perception of the views related to war and other foreign policies by the government in the post-World War II era and beyond.
The United States has always positioned itself as one of the most progressive and democratic countries in the world. Consequently, public support is always a necessity in the various activities in which the country engages itself. The steady position on democracy was one of the reasons for the United States interventions in various countries during the cold war with the primary intent of tilting the aftermath of the war in favor of Capitalism and the American ideology. Notably, the cold war was all about differences in ideology between the Soviet Union and the United States. According to Huntley (1993), American success in the cold war was a result of “long term policy of Containment first implemented by the Truman administration eventually crippled the Soviet system and was the reason for U.S. success.” The end of the cold war in 1991 was one of the most important positive developments in the American war en foreign policy post the Second World War, and largely impacted the American image among international authorities.
However, the American foreign policy post the cold war was not as elaborate and did not reflect much of the country’s democratic position. The American invasion of Iraq under the pretext that the country’s manufacture of weapons of mass destruction posed a threat to the world serves as one incidence in which clarity of American foreign policy was unclear. However, much of what the public heard from the government was that the war was necessary to restore a democratic governance in the Middle Eastern country since the government present at the time appeared to neglect the rights of its citizens. However, later uproar from the world in face of the American invasion passed a clear message about the wrongful nature of the American approach and significantly affected the world’s perception of the American war and foreign policy.
According to the local evaluation of the poll performances, President Bush’s was so popular in the country that “few elected criticize him as the country moved toward war” (Byrd, 2003, p.285). Consequently, such information reflected the swill of the American citizens and, again, it would not have been in the public domain without the help of the press. However, while making such considerations, the people forgot insights about the war initially made by Herr in Dispatches. Those at home would have no idea of the sleepless nights and fatigue that the soldiers who would go to Iraq would have to face in a country that had done nothing to provoke the Americans. The war in Iraq ought to have been with the Al Qaeda and not an effort to overthrow the government.
However, the role of the press in passing messages related to the war and foreign policy had evolved significantly. Coverage not only focused on the situation at home and its relation to the American society but also included sentiments from the larger international community. For instance, most of the negative sentiments to the American invasion of Iraq came from the international community with the solitary nature in which the United State made the decision to invade the Middle Eastern country being a primary issue. Ultimately, this portrayed the American citizens, led by the government, as being less concerned about the welfare of other countries in their actions, since the invasion of Iraq significantly questioned the American respect or the sovereignty of other nations.
While the press may have played a critical role in advancing the international policy agenda and information about the government to citizens in the country in the twentieth century, the role of the press has changed significantly in the twenty-first century. For instance, politicians no longer need the press to pass information to the public about various issues. Baughman (2011), asserts that there was a time in history when “stories that might flatter the opposition went unreported.” However, the trend has since changed since, among other changes in the perception of the news, the politicians can just as e
ffectively pass such information using social media platforms such as Twitter and make the same impact they would have made had they opted to use the traditional media. While there was a need for a reporter to go to Vietnam to get a personalized story on the experiences at the war front, soldiers in modern conflict situations could just as easily take images of the experiences and share them on social media.
Information passed to the citizens always has a significant effect on their perception of issues in the society. For instance, were it not for the press reports on issues related to the Vietnam war, there would not have been opposed to the invasion sometime after the American troops made the trip to the Middle Eastern country. However, information about the challenges associated with the narrative the people was initially made to believe initiated a dialogue that significantly challenged the popularity of the American presence in Iraq within the country.
In conclusion, journalists have always played a pivotal role in advancing the American war agenda as is exemplified by the impact of the publication of the Dispatches book on the account of the Vietnam War. However, the position has most recently been largely challenged by the role played by social media in exemplifying issues facing the society directly from the sources of such policy measures. As the society continues to experience changes in communication, the role of the press in communication could experience significant decline as information passage becomes more decentralized.
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