Study Of U.S. Newspaper Coverage Of Vietnam, Grenada And The Persian Gulf Conflict

Abstract

Because the media plays such an important role in providing the public with information about U.S. military conflicts, there has often been tension between the military and media concerning what information should be reported and what should be withheld from the public. The military and government argue that certain restrictions should be placed on the media to control the reporting of information that could threaten the lives of military personnel, along with national security. The press, on the other hand, argues that the military and government should not be given free reign during wartime, and should be held accountable for providing misleading information to the U.S. public. As a result ofthe tensions that have evolved between the press and military throughout the history ofthe United States, the types of news stories that have been reported during different conflicts have varied greatly in content.