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From Behind Enemy Lines: Harrison Salisbury, the Vietnamese Enemy, and Wartime Reporting During the Vietnam War

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2008, Master of Arts (MA), Ohio University, History (Arts and Sciences).
On December 24, 1966, Harrison Salisbury became the first mainstream American journalist to report from North Vietnam during the Vietnam War. From his position behind enemy lines, the New York Times reporter revealed that America's bombing campaign was causing many more civilian casualties than the Johnson administration had acknowledged. Additionally, he challenged how Americans perceived their enemy by portraying North Vietnam's culture and political ideology as legitimate. Evaluation of governmental and public responses to his stories reveals the significance of these reports. They sparked controversy that undermined American and international confidence in the Johnson administration's credibility, decreased support for U.S. policies towards North Vietnam, and put increased pressure on the Johnson administration to increase efforts towards peace. This thesis analyzes those effects, the Johnson administration's complicated relationship to the journalist, and the broad debate among journalists over the proper boundaries of wartime reporting.
Chester J. Pach Jr., Jr. (Advisor)
Kevin Mattson (Committee Member)
Patrick Washburn (Committee Member)
164 p.

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Stagner, A. C. (2008). From Behind Enemy Lines: Harrison Salisbury, the Vietnamese Enemy, and Wartime Reporting During the Vietnam War [Master's thesis, Ohio University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1212524985

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Stagner, Annessa. From Behind Enemy Lines: Harrison Salisbury, the Vietnamese Enemy, and Wartime Reporting During the Vietnam War. 2008. Ohio University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1212524985.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Stagner, Annessa. "From Behind Enemy Lines: Harrison Salisbury, the Vietnamese Enemy, and Wartime Reporting During the Vietnam War." Master's thesis, Ohio University, 2008. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1212524985

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)