For a long time only the Washington Post covered Watergate; the paper refused to let the story go.
Standing tall/ standing alone
Although Woodward and Bernstein were inexperienced reporters, and not part of the White House press core, they still actively pursued the Watergate story.
Threats
The Nixon administration threatened Katherine Graham and Ben Bradlee with consequences. The White House tried to shut down two Post owned Florida TV stations and even sue Graham personally.
Competing news organizations had a field-day when the Post made any reporting mistakes.
Scholarly Conclusions:
1. Rodger Streitmatter, author of Mightier than the Sword, concludes good investigative reporting brought down corrupt a president.
2. Michael Schudson, another expert, believes the aura around the Watergate reporting proves to be overly dramatic. A. The press as an institution failed to act courageously; only the Washington Post really pursued the story. B. The FBI and the courts substantially aided the press in its investigative pursuit. C. The press seemed to share partisan motives in going after Nixon.
The Results of Watergate:
1. More young people took interest in journalism and wanted to be journalists.
2. Unprecedented bitterness arose between the White House and press core.
3. Journalists developed into celebrities
4. The private lives of public figures started to spark more public interest.
5. The journalism industry increased its investigative reporting. At one point Wes Gallagher, a former AP reporter said, “ The first amendment is not a hunting license.” But journalists wanted to find something like Watergate with every president; they thought they just needed to dig deeper and harder.
Roy J. Harris Jr. on the impact of Watergate vs. the mystification:
“What matters is that events, circumstances, and the energy, drive, ambition, competitiveness, and courage of some young reporters and their editors at a liberal Washington daily kept alive a story that eventually drove a president from office for the only time in our history.”
2. Michael Schudson, another expert, believes the aura around the Watergate reporting proves to be overly dramatic. A. The press as an institution failed to act courageously; only the Washington Post really pursued the story. B. The FBI and the courts substantially aided the press in its investigative pursuit. C. The press seemed to share partisan motives in going after Nixon.
The Results of Watergate:
1. More young people took interest in journalism and wanted to be journalists.
2. Unprecedented bitterness arose between the White House and press core.
3. Journalists developed into celebrities
4. The private lives of public figures started to spark more public interest.
5. The journalism industry increased its investigative reporting. At one point Wes Gallagher, a former AP reporter said, “ The first amendment is not a hunting license.” But journalists wanted to find something like Watergate with every president; they thought they just needed to dig deeper and harder.
Roy J. Harris Jr. on the impact of Watergate vs. the mystification:
“What matters is that events, circumstances, and the energy, drive, ambition, competitiveness, and courage of some young reporters and their editors at a liberal Washington daily kept alive a story that eventually drove a president from office for the only time in our history.”
