One of the events I noticed which greatly displayed negative feelings from the public about television and it's abilities to impact society, was seen through Lyndon Johnson and the governments opposition to allow the media certain freedoms related to broadcasting. Lyndon Johnson was a very well liked man according to public opinion in his beginning years of office. His reputation was great as he won a huge victory in civil rights, and he fought to maintain his appearance within the media's eye. Television he knew, based on it's persuasive capabilities, could possibly either make or break him during such controversial times which were suddenly surrounding his presidency. As news got out about Vietnam and possible mistakes being made by the government with it's current decisioning process and involvement, Johnson kept very sure that he only did background appearances where only selected broadcasters and journalists were invited for questioning. Johnson would become very stern and condescending to broadcasters whom asked him questions with potential to make him look bad, and he became a very arrogant and overall confident appearance on TV. Johnson was also well known for coming at critics by questioning and casting doubt on their loyalty. Johnson even participated in a heavily censored trip to Vietnam and other international destinations to prove that he was doing the right thing by being involved, and that it wasn't as "rumors" were attempting to make it to be. Soon after his trip, talk arose of a possible travel ban prohibiting travel to particular enemy countries. The ban the government knew would ensure the inability of further unwanted truths to be exposed. It became very clear that the government's indignant opposition of diverse broadcasting was indefinitely striving to control and neutralize the media. Television networks began the fight against government censorship at license renewals where it was stated that, "We recognize that as shown by the complaints here, such provocative programming as here involved may offend some listeners. But this does not mean that those offended have the right, through the commisssion's licensing power, to rule such programming off the air waves." Johnson became so obsessed with guarding his image at all costs, and through censorship of himself, he became as he wanted to appear. This technique of utilizing the media only when and where he wanted to, along with the heavy censorship, really only proved that public opinion was skewed based on such a scattered and manipulated image.
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