How did media coverage of the Tet Offensive impact American policy regarding the Vietnam War? Part A: Survey Design The survey assesses media coverage of the Tet Offensive and its impact on U.S. policy regarding the Vietnam War from 1968 to 1969. The survey assesses the contrast between media broadcasts and government reports on the war, the effect of the media on the American public, and the effect of American public opinion on President Lyndon B.. Johnson's action plan. Two of the sources, Vietnam and America: A Documented History by Marvin E. Gettleman, Jane Franklin, Marilyn Young, and H. Bruce Franklin, and The “Uncensored War”: The Media and Vietnam by Daniel C. Hallin are examined. B: Summary of Evidence: The Vietnam War was the first war to enter Americans' living rooms. From 1965 to 1968, eighty-six percent of CBS and NBC's nightly news programs covered the Vietnam War. This media coverage was generally favorable to U.S. involvement, with the media describing the conflict as "good guys fighting communism", thus fitting into the continuing history of the Cold War. The “Five O'clock Follies,” daily press briefings in Saigon, conveyed a strong sense of progress and American courage. During this period, the number of troops stationed in Vietnam increased steadily without major concern, but when the number of Americans killed in combat increased from a monthly average of 172 in 1965 to 770 in 1967, criticism towards the Johnson administration have multiplied. in November 1967, the administration launched a "public relations" campaign intended to guide the press to show "the light at the end of the tunnel" in Vietnam. General William Westmoreland, commander of... middle of paper ... The Vietnam War and Vietnam Veterans. The Warbird Forum. Daniel Ford, July 2008. Web. May 18, 2011. Morelock, Jerry. “Media coverage turns Tet into a defeat.” The story and the headlines. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. May 18, 2011. Roleff, Tamara L. The Vietnam War. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, Inc., 2002. Print. Simon, Dennis M. “The Vietnam War, 1965-1968.” The Vietnam War. Np, August 2002. Web. May 18, 2011. .Willbanks, James K. The Tet Offensive: A Concise History. New York: Columbia University Press, 2007. Print. Wyatt, Clarence R. Paper Soldiers The American Press and the Vietnam War. New York: WW Norton & Company, 1993. Print.