Pearson Edexcel · A-Level · History
Course version: 9HI0 · Version from Sept 2015
The changing nature of warfare, 1859–1991: perception and reality - 1…
Full specification wording
Paper 3, Option 37.1: The changing nature of warfare, 1859–1991: perception and reality - 1 Reporting and portraying war: Changes in the reporting of war and the impact of new technologies, 1859–1991: the telegraph, photography, film, radio, television, satellite communication (key developments: the reporting of the US Civil War, Spanish- American War and the First World War, filming the Second World War, the televised reporting in Vietnam and in particular the Tet Offensive 1968, instantaneous reporting from the First Gulf War).
This topic examines how each new communication technology changed the speed, reach and character of war reporting between 1859 and 1991.
Checked against the Pearson Edexcel 9HI0 specification (opens in a new tab) on .
- Point 1 of 2
- 4 key terms
Study notes
From the checked teaching notes for this specification point.
The idea
This topic examines how each new communication technology changed the speed, reach and character of war reporting between 1859 and 1991. The telegraph allowed correspondents to send brief dispatches quickly, but censorship and cost limited detail. Photography could show static scenes, yet exposure times and official control shaped what was seen. Film brought moving images, radio gave immediate voice, television added pictures in the home, and satellite communication made reporting almost instantaneous. You should connect each technology to named conflicts: the US Civil War, the Spanish-American War, the First World War, the Second World War, Vietnam (especially the Tet Offensive in 1968) and the First Gulf War. Assess how technology changed perception and reality, including censorship, propaganda and the gap between report and experience.
What earns the marks
- Explains how the telegraph accelerated transmission of war news but also encouraged short, censored dispatches, using the US Civil War as an example.
- Analyses how photography and film created visual records but were shaped by exposure times, editing and official restrictions, for example in the First and Second World Wars.
- Assesses radio and television as broadcast media that brought war into homes, with Vietnam and the Tet Offensive 1968 as a key case of contested televised reporting.
- Evaluates satellite communication in the First Gulf War as a step towards instantaneous reporting, while noting military control of information and the 'CNN effect' debate.
- Compares continuity and change across 1859–1991, showing how each technology altered speed, immediacy and audience reach rather than simply improving accuracy.
Common mistakes and how to put them right
Treating technology as automatically producing truthful reporting.
Put it right: Link each technology to censorship, propaganda or practical limits that shaped what audiences received.
Confusing the Tet Offensive with a clear military defeat for the United States.
Put it right: Explain it as a psychological and media turning point that undermined public confidence despite tactical outcomes.
Assuming satellite communication removed all delay and control.
Put it right: Note that instantaneous reporting still operated within military pools, briefings and security restrictions.
Exam tips
- Anchor every technological point to a named conflict and date so your argument is precise and evidence-based.
- When discussing Vietnam and the Tet Offensive, distinguish between what was filmed, what was broadcast and how audiences interpreted it.
- Use the concept of perception versus reality to structure comparisons between official reports and soldiers' or civilians' experiences.
Try the lesson
The start of the Paper 3, Option 37.1: The changing nature of warfare, 1859–1991: perception and reality - 1 Reporting and portraying war: Changes in the reporting of war and the impact of new technologies, 1859–1991: the telegraph, photography, film, radio, television, satellite communication (key developments: the reporting of the US Civil War, Spanish- American War and the First World War, filming the Second World War, the televised reporting in Vietnam and in particular the Tet Offensive 1968, instantaneous reporting from the First Gulf War). lesson, made from checked teaching notes for this specification point.
Have a go first
Which new technology of the mid-nineteenth century allowed newspapers to receive war reports from distant fronts far more quickly than the postal service could deliver them?
Listen
This topic examines how each new communication technology changed the speed, reach and character of war reporting between 1859 and 1991. The telegraph allowed correspondents to send brief dispatches quickly, but censorship and cost limited detail. Photography could show static scenes, yet exposure times and official control shaped what was seen. Film brought moving images, radio gave immediate voice, television added pictures in the home, and satellite communication made reporting almost instantaneous. You should connect each technology to named conflicts: the US Civil War, the Spanish-American War, the First World War, the Second World War, Vietnam (especially the Tet Offensive in 1968) and the First Gulf War. Assess how technology changed perception and reality, including censorship, propaganda and the gap between report and experience. A strong answer earns marks for these points. Explains how the telegraph accelerated transmission of war news but also encouraged short, censored dispatches, using the US Civil War as an example. Analyses how photography and film created visual records but were shaped by exposure times, editing and official restrictions, for example in the First and Second World Wars. Assesses radio and television as broadcast media that brought war into homes, with Vietnam and the Tet Offensive 1968 as a key case of contested televised reporting. Evaluates satellite communication in the First Gulf War as a step towards instantaneous reporting, while noting military control of information and the 'CNN effect' debate. A common slip: Treating technology as automatically producing truthful reporting. Instead, link each technology to censorship, propaganda or practical limits that shaped what audiences received. Exam tip: Anchor every technological point to a named conflict and date so your argument is precise and evidence-based.
Key words
Say what each word means before you turn the card.
Technology and speed of communication
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
Censorship and control of information
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
Propaganda and public perception
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
The gap between reported war and lived experience
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
See every definition
- Technology and speed of communication
- Each new communication technology changed the speed, reach and character of war reporting between 1859 and 1991.
- Censorship and control of information
- Official control shaped what audiences received, limiting detail and operating through military pools, briefings and security restrictions.
- Propaganda and public perception
- New technologies changed public perception of war, but technology did not automatically produce truthful reporting.
- The gap between reported war and lived experience
- The difference between official reports and soldiers' or civilians' experiences is the concept of perception versus reality.
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Test your understanding of Paper 3, Option 37.1: The changing nature of warfare, 1859–1991: perception and reality - 1 Reporting and portraying war: Changes in the reporting of war and the impact of new technologies, 1859–1991: the telegraph, photography, film, radio, television, satellite communication (key developments: the reporting of the US Civil War, Spanish- American War and the First World War, filming the Second World War, the televised reporting in Vietnam and in particular the Tet Offensive 1968, instantaneous reporting from the First Gulf War).
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