You Say You Want a Revolution

I just got back from watching Across the Universe with my floor at the union. The film, taking place during the Vietnam War, reminded me just how much power the news media has over the American people. With increased coverage by television news crews, Vietnam became a war fought in the living rooms of the viewers following the graphic violence on the screen. The increasing numbers of casualties reported, along with a lack of reported successes, led to strong antiwar sentiments on the home front. The "make love not war" revolution called for the withdrawal of US troops overseas. The way the media portrayed Vietnam, primarily from a negative angle, gave rise to a nation strongly opposed to the ensuing brutality. It's amazing just what a large influence television has on its viewers. This same influential grip is still seen today through media coverage of the US involvement in the Middle East. Emphasizing the failures more so than the triumphs has a bad effect on the morale of American citizens; it also reduces their faith in the government.