The types of news that makes it from the war front to major news outlets has evolved significantly since the Vietnam War began in 1955. While early wartime reporting was comprised primarily of regulated Department of Defense dispatches, by the time the United States withdrew from Vietnam in 1973, critical reporting from the trenches and sleuthing dominated coverage.

What caused the shift in reporting methods over the course of the war? What is media bias? What were the Pentagon Papers? Answer these questions and more with the discussion guide below, and the presentation included in the support materials. By the end of this lesson, students will be able to identify the types of information they believe news outlets have a responsibility to report to the public, and explain why.