Female war correspondents in Vietnam : a turning point for women in American journalism

Considering the amount of literature written on the Vietnam War, it is confounding that female war correspondents have failed to make a significant entry into historical accounts of the conflict. Part of the challenge when searching for literature on the female war correspondent in Vietnam is that historically, war and journalism have been considered a man's area of expertise. Much of the literature written about reporters in Vietnam reflects this sentiment. This perception was transformed during the Vietnam War by an unprecedented number of courageous women who broke the stereotypes to become successful wartime correspondents. Unrestricted access to the fighting proved to be an opportunity for women journalists. Four hundred and sixty seven women became accredited during the war, of which 267 were American. The purpose of my research was to review the literature on various factors that created opportunity for women journalists in Vietnam and develop a prosopography of the female war correspondent. In addition, I have created a lesson plan based upon my research, for secondary education. The lessons could be used in a Women's or American History class. This project has drawn similarities and differences among reporters experiences based on both primary and secondary sources. The women reporters of Vietnam had varying views and opinions about the war and explored a variety of angles when writing their stories. This project examines circumstances that made access to war by women journalists easier than any other time in history. The influence of the women's movement and the subsequent legislation that enforced equality in the workplace and pressured news agencies to send women to Vietnam on assignment. The changing government policy with the press between the Kennedy and Johnson years created an unrestricted access that was crucial for the entry of women reporters in Vietnam. The women reporters took advantage of the historical juncture and initiated a turning point for women in American journalism. The actions of these women forever changed the opportunities and the image of female wartime reporters.