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The Tet Offensive was a surprise attack by North Vietnamese troops and guerrillas during the Tet holiday, causing shock and disheartenment in both US and South Vietnamese forces and the American people. The media played a significant role in turning public opinion against the war, despite the North’s military defeat. Peter Braestrup’s book, The Big Story, analyzes the media’s impact on the outcome of the Tet Offensive.
The Tet Offensive was a battle, often described as the “turning point” in the Vietnam War, that had profound implications for the future of both Vietnam and America. A little history helps show the significance of the Tet Offensive as a psychological power play. Tet is a celebration, or holiday, observed by the Vietnamese during the turn of the lunar year. Out of respect for this observance, the custom, somewhat an unwritten agreement, was to cease hostilities during the period of the celebrations.
North Vietnamese troops along with guerrillas launched the Tet Offensive, a shock and awe-style attack that forever changed the way the American people would look at war. Not only were US and South Vietnamese forces stunned by the attack instigated during the Tet celebration, but the press and people back home in America were also shocked and disheartened. Over two dozen cities that should have been safe havens at this point were attacked, including Saigon.
This news was especially chilling because the popular American sentiment at the time was that the North Vietnamese were all but defeated. Additionally, raw footage of the Tet Offensive was pouring in from Tokyo and hitting the airwaves unedited. The nightly news in America was filled with horrific images, and reporters lacked the experience to explain it. It seemed like a nightmare to the average person, especially without the benefit of analysis, and it quickly turned many in America against the war.
Many critics believe that printing has functioned with this newfound power. In fairness, many of those in the media probably believed they were doing a good thing by forcing the public to condemn the war. Unfortunately, not being experienced military analysts, many had no idea what a sudden retreat or retreat would entail. However, the graphic images and sounds of the Tet Offensive were played at night, and journalists and broadcasters even started adding their own opinions. Being a member of the anti-war press became fashionable in the aftermath of the Tet Offensive.
The Tet Offensive was not the North Vietnamese military and the Viet Cong victory appeared to be, at least not militarily. Indeed, most experts agree that they never intended to contain the cities that were taken, but to create a shocking spectacle made up of small disasters that would look like a big defeat. It worked, especially with the help of the American press in painting him just as the North Vietnamese might have hoped he would look.
While the North lost tens of thousands of troops compared to fewer than 3,000 American troops during the Tet Offensive, it was a propaganda victory for the communists. Militarily, many considered them defeated, but the psychological power play worked in their favor, with the help of the American news media.
Peter Braestrup, a former US Marine officer and war correspondent for The Washington Post, has written a book called The Big Story, which provides detailed information on the role of the media in the outcome of the Tet Offensive. He collected all audio, visual, photographic and written reports of the events from the largest media organizations of the time and used both his military and media experience to analyze them in the creation of the book.
