In addition to propaganda and smear tactics, the media of both countries also used censorship. The media during this war can even be accredited with the marketing of the conflict. American journalist Walter Lippmann entitled the conflict as a ‘Cold War’ due to the lack of direct military warfare . However, this was only the case between the Soviet Union and the United States. Due to the mutually assured destruction (M.A.D) of the two nuclear powers; the Soviet Union and the West only engaged in proxy wars with satellite states. A great example of this is the Vietnam War of 1955 to 1975, which was considered a battle of the Cold War based on the Domino Theory (The domino theory was a theory prominent from the 1950s to the 1980s, that speculated …show more content…
However, TV reports attributed less than one-third of all civilian casualties from 1965 to 1973 to U.S. forces. The incredible amount of bombs dropped on Vietnam during the war, more than three times that of World War II, almost makes this a statistical impossibility. And of all the television time devoted to the war between 1965 and 1973, only 11.8 minutes focused on civilian casualties in North Vietnam . TV coverage during the Vietnam War gave attention to antiwar protests, singlehandedly creating even more public opposition and prompting congressional action on the war effort. But from the editorial commentaries on domestic opposition run by the networks before 1968, not one approved of the protestors ' activities. In fact, of all statements presented on film about the demonstrations, including those not made by reporters were favorable. After the Tet Offensive in 1968, the number of protests skyrocketed, and televised statements on domestic opposition reflected increasing public acceptance of antiwar protest. But never did the media support the antiwar movement with fervor because it needed to maintain the public’s hatred of