So recently we were assigned to write a short paragraph responding to a thought prompt we came up with during our lessons about the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s. I decided for mine I wanted to talk about the media, specifically to prove that growing media changes the way people view and understand the world. 

So here is my think paragraph:

The way we can get information with just a few clicks and know news the minute it happens is taken for granted by my generation. We can’t imagine not having almost unlimited resources at our disposal, but we also don’t know what it’s like to suddenly begin learning all the horrors of the world. As media began to pick up, the way people viewed and understood the world began to shift. People never fully understood the horrors of war, for example, until news reporters went to Vietnam and broadcasted what was happening. This war, and its media coverage is what turned veterans from heroes into “baby killers”. These videos are what made people start protesting wars and what made it unsafe for Vietnam veterans to wear their uniforms when they got home. As people began to realize the power of media, they learned how to use it to their benefit. Terrorists knew that highlighting their cause on live television would be the best way to become known and get the attention they desired. During the Middle East conflict, and the hijackings, the terrorists were able to televise their cause, spreading fear through the world, and showing that they were a force to be reckoned with. This fear made people realize they couldn’t feel safe at home and began to realize that threats were everywhere. As media grows, it illuminates issues, and makes people begin to realize the true horrors in the world they live in. Many of us still don’t know all of the horrors of the world, but it’s more of a choice, how we choose not to do the digging, yet we still have access to it when we decide we want to shift our views. 

Here is an American news broadcast from during the Vietnam War to help show how it may make the american public feel.