CNN Effect During The Vietnam War

The CNN effect has affected many parts of today’s society. This goes from how we, Americans, view war today all the way to how veterans have been treated in the past. This can bring up a new discussion on whether or not TV news sources should be allowed to broadcast conflict. The CNN effect has brought many false causes of concern to the public which supports reasons as to why wars should not be broadcasted in the news, aside from what the government controls.
The CNN effect was only just the shortcut name for the involvement of media in any war, in any country. This notion started from the false media coverage that happened during the Vietnam War which, in turn, created the biggest way for misinformation about wars to be spread. Media images have the potential to bring other countries into a war whether they are needed or not, creating risk for whichever countries step in. …show more content…
Hitler's propaganda minister, Joseph Goebbels said “The most important instruments of mass influence that exists anywhere [is the radio.]” (Welch 1993) Ideas are so easily spread through media that so many opinions are formed, some clash with each other which can cause more conflict than what was intended.
Political figures are influenced more strongly by the media as opposed to the media being influenced by the political figures. Some people, specifically Paul Miller, have criticized Obama and his administration on the way they have let media sway their position and be pushed to action by it. Although more often than not the political figures are influenced by media, it sometimes flips. It was found that Media was pointed toward Somalia by cues from US Government officials that were previously trying to bring attention