Watergate: The Journalistic Goal

Watergate: The Journalistic Goal

Jaysun True

HIST101-1701B-10

Colorado Technical University

During the early 1970’s in the United States, a situation arose that set the standard for journalistic investigations. Watergate, a political scandal involving the burglary of the democratic headquarters, took over the media; from newspapers, to television broadcasts, to local papers. If it were not for the investigative journalism of Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward and their connection to an inside informant named ‘Deepthroat’, many believe that the allegations would have been kept secret. The events that entailed became a journalistic dream come true, the new standard ideal for journalistic investigations. Forty years after the events and still, journalists refer to this event. In fact, every political scandal to this date ends in gate, as an homage to Watergate.

In the editorial article ‘In defense of Richard Nixon’ the author Burch, in response to The Chicago Tribune’s editorial, began with an idealistic approach to the stress associated with the role of the president of the Unites States. It created a more realistic viewpoint for the average American to empathize with a position of such power. Burch did this by emphasizing presidential standards, “The president lives in the real world of tough, practical decisions that affect the future of every American--the survival of a nation, the existence of life on this planet,” (Burch, 1974), creating a more heroic portrait of the President under fire. Burch also left the writer with a positive reflection of the beneficial actions that President Nixon set forth during his presidency and smoothing the edges of the wicked portrayal printed by the Chicago Tribune. This article was deemed as a very enlightening point of view from one of Nixon’s special assistants.

The Washington Post printed an editorial “Watergate: The Unfinished Business”, that began with a more condemning tone. Due to the events of Watergate, the writer of this editorial believed that after ten months of evasion and deceit from white house officials, that everyone in the white house should be changed from their appointed office. This editorial was more in tune with the current actions that President Nixon was taking to bring peace of mind to the American people that he was not trying to cover up the events of Watergate. The article in tune with the condemning tone, said that Nixon’s most recent actions were the least that he could do, given the events that had and were taking place. This editorial finished, leaving the reader and most Americans with a sense of anger towards President Nixon’s behaviors regarding his