20th Century

Uneasy Partners: The Press and the Military

What is the relationship between the American military and the press? How does the press define and report historical military events? Where is the line between freedom of the press guaranteed under the First Amendment of the Constitution and national security? Uneasy Partners: The Press and the Military explores these questions and more. This episode of 20th Century examines the delicate and intricate relationship between those who are active in war and those who report it.

Uneasy Partners: The Press and the Military would be useful for classes on American History, American Culture, Military History, Journalism and Communications. It is appropriate for middle school and high school.

OBJECTIVES

Students will examine the relationship between the press, the military and the government. They will explore the intricacies of the First Amendment as well as the role of the press in shaping popular opinion.

NATIONAL HISTORY STANDARDS

Uneasy Partners: The Press and the Military fulfills the following National Standards for History for grades 5-12: chronological thinking, historical comprehension, historical analysis and interpretations, and historical research capabilities for United States History eras 8, 9 and 10.

• chagrin
• covert
• elaborate
• equivocate
• harmonious
• imminent
• imperative
• objective
• repercussion
• strife
• unprecedented
• watershed

Discussion Questions

1. The press and the military have different agendas or imperatives. Compare these imperatives. How are they different? What defines these imperatives?

2. Freedom of the press is guaranteed to Americans, including the press, under the First Amendment of the Constitution. Discuss these rights and how these rights define American citizenship.

3. The military and the press were most at odds during the Vietnam War. Why did this war sour the relationship between the press and the military? How did this war divide the American public?

4. Discuss the different relationships between the press and the military during World War II and the Vietnam War.

5. D-Day was one of the most important days in world history. What was D-Day? How did it affect the outcome of World War II and world history?

6. The Vietnam War was the first first

7. The Vietnam War was a war of attrition. What does this mean?

8. Public opinion about the Vietnam War changed midstream. Why?

9. What was the Tet Offensive? How did this event alter public opinion in America about the Vietnam War?

10. What did the Vietnam War do to public morale in the United States?

11. Discuss the effects of the Granada news blackout. Why did the US government orchestrate this blackout?

12. How were US actions in the Gulf War affected by the legacy of the Vietnam War?

13. Discuss the role of technology in the Gulf War.

Extended Activities

1. Imagine that you are a reporter in Vietnam during the war. Write a story for your readers that effectively conveys the experiences of soldiers in the war.

2. Create a timeline of the major events of World War II.

3. Interview your parents, grandparents or any other older friends or relatives about their memories and experiences of the Vietnam War.

Related Videos

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Primary Sources

• March 31, 1968

  Public Address by President Lyndon Baines Johnson