Gulf War, Media Coverage of

The Vietnam War was a turning point in the media's coverage of military conflict and was the first modern war in which television brought visual images of combat into homes. Despite the impact these still images and footage had on the public, they were not close-up, live reports, as viewers were able to see during the 1991 Gulf War and later the Iraq War. In 1991, coverage of the Gulf War allowed viewers to watch war in their living rooms in real time.

In August 1990, Iraq invaded neighboring Kuwait as the result of a dispute over oil drilling. The United Nations immediately initiated economic sanctions against Iraq, but Iraq continued to occupy disputed territory. Consequently, in January 1991 the United States led a coalition of ...