Photojournalism : 2013

Beto Hoyos

9/9/13

Photojournalism history

The Vietnam War was broadcasted into the countless homes of Americans. Media was able to effect the opinion of the war. People could now sit down with their TV dinners and watch live coverage from Vietnam. The negative exposure caused many Americans to be against the war and to protest it. Unlike World War 2, Vietnam had massive coverage that made it home. As the fighting escaladed so did the coverage and so did the protesting. If it wasn’t for brave photographers and brave journalist, then the American people would not have an idea of what war was really like. If all the horrible and traumatic events were kept away from the view of the public then the war might have kept going on longer. Reporting on how many casualties there were daily and showing video and pictures of American soldiers hurt or dying made the American people somewhat uneasy. Showing tragic images might have cut the war short.

Though the war was highly protested and seen as a waste of young lives and seen as an unwinnable war, the brave men and women that served did so with honor and as proud Americans. Many never made it back home, and that’s the risk of war. These young people led others into scary, unfamiliar territory. Without images to give the story its image the war might have been misinterpreted. A select few photos cannot tell the complete story of what Vietnam was all about but they can give the observer a feel of what it was like.

In some photos, you can see how the soldiers feel. There is an image where a solider marks off the months he has left to returning home. Others wear peace medallions in their own protest. Not everyone was against the war. Some really believed this was truly important not just for the Vietnam people but for Americans. The view back home was mixed as it is with any war. During this trying time people took to the streets to make their voices heard. Famous protests against the nation spread with intense speed. Fueling the flame was the famous protest at Kent State where four protesters were killed and nine were injured. Around this time the whole anti-violence scene was growing, influenced by Dr. King. So for young people who took to heart this whole idea of peace and making it a reality, the war was ridiculous. Yet they all tried, united in protest, the youth was either fighting or on the home front protesting the idea.

It is important to remember that War may be inevitable sometimes but the images of the fighting will always make it back home. Think back a few years ago to those images of U.S Soldiers posing with nude prisoners on dog leashes. Especially in today’s technological world, images of anything significant can surface in seconds of occurring and by multiple sources. Social media has made an impact as far as being a platform for photos. Cell phones are being supped up with cameras with better resolution and ones that take better pictures. People can document they want now a days, so why should war or protesting or history be any different. People make the argument that the coverage of Vietnam didn't defeat America in Vietnam but in the social and political arena.

People will always document issues important to them no matter where they may occur. Some things just do not change, that was the case in Vietnam and any war since. Photos may change or influence public opinion but that is the job of the photographer, to tell the story. Vietnam was full of violence and tragedy and that was what was documented and shown to the people back home.