policy - The Black Vault

THE BDM CORPORATION
example of Tet highlights the problems associated with information transfer
in times of crisis. Early and dramatic media reports from the scene which
could not be confirmed or denied immediately by the Department of Def':nse
Public Affairs Office carried considerable weight with US government
officials in Washington. Major General Winant Sidle, Army Information
Chief in Vietnam during Tet, notes:
It was apparent in Saigon that [the government]
panicked. We sent all sorts of cables te'ling them it
[Tet] was all over in four days. But they wouldn't
believe us. 42/
Although Johnson had the option of launching another media offensive
to demonstrate that the Tet offensive had been a severe defeat for th,.4
communists, that response would have been out of character for him. 43/
Dor'is Kearns wrote of Johnson's aversion to conflict:
They [individuals expecting Johnson to stand and fight]
failed to weigh his most consistent pattern of beha,-
/ ior: his profound aversion to conflict; his reliance,
in the face of potentially disruptive situations, upon
bargaining if at all possible; hib terror of campaign
speeches, where the size of the audience w&zvbeyond the
reach of his personal abilities and skills. 44/
I
•"3.
Johnson did rot stand and fight. After thfe first Tet attacks, he
retreated, leaving the Vietnam debate to otihers.
nation or, television until March 31
his decision not to seek another term in oflffce.
He did not address "he
wher,, he announced a bombing halt and
He retired convinced that
the intellectuals and newspaper colIdmnists had denied him his place in
hi story.
Nixon Administration Media •Ielations
Traditionally, American presidents have tried to manipulate the
news media while remaining highly sensitive to criticism emanating from the
media. During the Nixon administration, both of these features of presidential
media relations intensified sharply. President Nixon had long
considered the reporters and news analysts to be his political enemies.
His administration launched repeated attacks against the news media, and
3-18
_ý
I