In times of war, the media plays a crucial role in both reporting, monitoring and providing updates. During the Vietnam War of 1955-1975, the American press played a crucial reporting role until it ended up changing its tone under the influence of the occurrence of certain events such as the Tet offensive, the My Lai massacre, the bombing of Cambodia and the leak from the Pentagon. documents that resulted in a lack of trust in the press (Knightly 1975). From the beginning of the war to the present day there have been incessant debates about the role of the media in the war. There has been various criticism of the American media's actions and influences on the outcome of the war. The debate centers on particular political assumptions perceived across the American political spectrum. Those who criticize the media for their role are of the opinion that the media misunderstood the US military effort, thus hindering the succession of American will in a war that needed to be won. By 1968, claims that the media had missed Vietnam became a point of contention. among members of the public, military officials, veterans and many political conservatives, apparently indicating the crucial role the media played in the war. Supporters of the media were of the opinion that the media had successfully fulfilled its role as a watchdog of citizens and the state by revealing the bitter truth of failed policies and thus forcing legislators to change the course of the war (Schmitz 2005) . Although the two sides contradicted themselves over the role the media played in the outcome of the war, they still believed that the media was a decisive actor in the war and that a change in coverage of the war also had an impact on public opinions. Both groups also believed that...... middle of paper ......004). This shows the role the media played in the Iraq War and how the media was used to change the general public's perception of the invasion. Bibliography Knightly, P. The First Casualty: From Crimea to Vietnam: The War Correspondent. Harcourt Brace, 1975.Lucas, Principal. "The famous fall of Saddam Hussein's statue". The Famous Picture Magazine, 2007: 9-15.Miller, David. "The Domination Effect." The Guardian, 2004: 21-24.Muller, John E. War, Presidents and public opinion. New York: John Wiley& Sons, 1973.Schmitz, David F. The Tet Offensive: Politics, War, and Public Opinion. New York: Rowman & Littlefield, 2005. Taylor, M. P. War and the Media: Propaganda and Persuasion in the Gulf War. Manchester University., 1998.Venanzi, G. Democracy and protracted war: the impact of television,. 1983. www.airpower.au.af.mil (visited 04 12, 2011).