How was the USA's defeat in Vietnam the result of a rise in protest culture in the US between 1961 and 1975?

Focal Points in the Essay:
Protest Culture: anti-war movement, civil rights movement, physical protests Economic ImpactAmerican tactical Failures Winning 'hearts and minds'Media
Introduction:The contributing factors to the USA’s defeat in Vietnam are protest culture, the economy, tactical failures but most importantly the media’s influence. Protest Culture was significant because it brought the war to the home-front impacting foreign policy in Vietnam. The economic situation made failure inevitable as the cost of the war was impossible to maintain. Tactical failures meant morale significantly declined causing a spike in protest culture and essentially America’s failure. Although, the connection between these factors was the influence of the media. Media is arguably the reason for the USA’s defeat as without it, America’s failures wouldn’t have been publically shown, so its unlikely protest culture would’ve escalated the way it did. 
Conclusion:To conclude, the media’s portrayal of the Vietnam War led to the USA’s defeat, as summed up by NY Times journalist, Braestrup, “the outcome of the war was determined […] on the TV screen,”[1]which has a direct correlation to the intensifying of the persistent and influential Anti-war movement, which led to withdrawal, but it’s limited as without the influence of the media it wouldn’t have escalated the way it did. Economic factors are a part of any war but it wasn’t the main reason for failure because its importance is undermined by the other factors discussed. Tactical failures although stereotypically the basis for failure, cannot be the most influential factor because in terms of success, the USA won the Tet Offensive and this should’ve boosted morale but instead the opposite occurred due to the influence of the media. The media controlled public opinion and was rightfully recognized as an important factor by both Nixon and Johnson, undoubtedly demonstrating its enormous significance in the failure of Vietnam. Thus, despite all other contending factors what triggered protest culture, was the media, which is why it would be impulsive to conclude anything other than the media as being the most influential reason for U.S. defeat in Vietnam from 1961 – 75.