Collection:LPB

Genre: Newsmagazine

Place Covered: Louisiana

Copyright Holder: Louisiana Educational Television Authority

Date Issued: 1985-06-23

Duration: 00:26:15

Subjects: Filmed panel discussions | Vietnam War, 1961-1975 | Television | Accuracy in Media, Inc. | Public Broadcasting Service (U.S.) | WGBH (Television station: Boston, Mass.)

Contributors:

• Hinton, Rob Host
• Rollins, Peter Panelist
• Culbert, David Panelist
• Irvine, Reed Interviewee
• McCain, John Interviewee

This episode of the series “Folks” from June 23, 1985, features Rob Hinton leading a panel discussion on the controversy surrounding the PBS/WGBH thirteen-part series “Vietnam: A Television History” from 1983 and the upcoming two-hour rebuttal program “Vietnam Op/Ed: An Inside Story Special.” Hinton reports that this is the first time that PBS will air a rebuttal to one of its programs. The panelists are Dr. Peter Rollins, the producer of Accuracy in Media’s “Television’s Vietnam: The Real Story” (which will air during the rebuttal program) and LSU History Professor Dr. David Culbert. Rollins and Culbert discuss their view of the inaccuracies in the original program, the upcoming rebuttal program, and WGBH’s response to the controversy. This episode also includes an interview with Reed Irvine, the founder and chairman of Accuracy in Media, who discusses the organization’s role in investigating complaints of media error. It also features a clip from “Television’s Vietnam: The Real Story,” including an interview with Congressman John McCain, an American prisoner-of-war in Vietnam.