The Vietnam War went down in United States history as one of the longest conflicts the country faced. This prolonged war was costly not only in economic terms, but also in human lives. At a time when the Cold War was becoming heated, conflicts broke out in various regions of Vietnam. Alongside its southern allies, otherwise known as the Viet Cong, North Vietnam raged against South Vietnam. Along with its main ally, the United States continued to fight to "save" South Vietnam from becoming a fully communist country. As the war continued, it became increasingly unpopular in the United States. Thanks to the progress and development of the media, the American people were able to understand war in a way never before seen. For the first time, the horrors of war were brought home to the homes of countless American families. In fact, the Vietnam War was the first war in which the United States allowed the press complete freedom to cover whatever it wanted without any censorship. Along with the freedom to film, photograph, and record anything related to the war, the cold truth was uncovered that ultimately led to America's withdrawal from Vietnam. At the start of the Vietnam War, many people were pro-war and even supported the war effort. These people were commonly known as Hawks and made up the majority of the public in the United States. These people did not question why the war was being fought or whether the United States had a right to be in Vietnam. In the past, the media's primary job was to keep good American citizens optimistic, feeling safe in their homes, and keeping them safe from panic. For example, during the World Wars and the Korean War, the media portrayed what the government was doing and military actions in a...... middle of paper ......gan to disagree with the war efforts. It is evident that the media played an incredibly vital role in reorienting public opinion on the Vietnam War and also in ending it. Although the US military would eventually withdraw from Vietnam due to poor assistance; It is certain that it would have taken much longer if the media had not had so much freedom to present the information. Because the media was able to provide the American public with hard facts and graphic images, the public was able to understand what was really happening in Vietnam. Media coverage of the Tet Offensive, the My Lai Massacre, Kent State University, and the Pentagon Papers have sparked disbelief and anger among American citizens. Thanks to citizen and media pressure on government officials to end the Vietnam War, the war finally ended..