The Impact of US Media on Anti-war Movements: The Case of Vietnam and Afghanistan

Abstract

wars in Vietnam and Afghanistan are two of the most widely discussed topics in history. Nevertheless, in both cases, the critical events occurred only when America's enemies made significant gains. Consequently, this study aims at depecting the impact of the U.S. media on the two longest wars in U.S. history; the Vietnam and Afghanistan war. This study is a qualitative research based on the descriptive, analytical and historical method. The study demonstrates the causes of American failure in the Vietnam war. Several factors contributed to this outcome, including North Vietnamese forces, Viet Cong strategies as well as Nixon's Vietnamization policy. Moreover, the U.S. media played a significant role in the American failure in Vietnam and Afghanistan. Media succeeded in encouraging the appearance of anti war movements in the United States and worldwide. The study concluded that the media had a significant impact on public opinion, and influenced the course of the Vietnam and Afghanistan wars, ultimately leading to the United States‘ withdrawal from both countries.