Journalists were certified as an independent watchdog not only not under the control of government and the powerful, but serving as a check on government and the powerful. It reinforced the role of the press as an outside check on government and assured that the press as an institution would take a skeptical view of both candidates for president and the president who is elected.
-- Michael Glover, former reporter for Associated Press
Major Changes
“The most obvious impact of Watergate on the media was to establish the Washington Post as a significant rival to the New York Times in national political reporting. This has, lastingly, altered the map of political journalism.”[1] In addition, a general revival of the 1900s muckraking image was revitalized, bringing hints of what Upton Sinclair started[2].
“It marked the triumph of the Washington Post, which ascended to a level that only the New York Times had done. The Post |
"Washington Post reporters Carl Bernstein, left, and Bob Woodward, who uncovered the Watergate scandal, along with other editorial employees, walk off the job at the Post in Washington, April 8, 1974, after Baltimore-Washington arm of the American Newspaper Guild struck the paper." (AP Photo)
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Broken Boundaries
The Watergate scandal broke boundaries, creating the "Fourth Estate,"--fourth branch of our system of checks and balances [1]. Because of Watergate, the news and media were empowered to "check" the already-existing three branches and keep the government mindful of what is fair to the American people.
A result of Watergate has been more aggressive reporting of the White House. “White House briefings have been entirely different in the past 30 years than in the rest of history. The relationship between the White House and the press was changed forever by Watergate.” [3]
"United States President Richard Nixon listens to a question from an unidentified reporter during press conference in the White House, Washington, in 1973." (AP Photo)
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"The White House/press relationship forever was altered. It was much more gentlemanly and courtly in 1972. The press and the rest of the country actually believed what the president said. Even some hard-bitten investigative reporters could not believe that the criminal act of the break-in actually went all the way to the president. Today, it's a different story. The public in particular, and the press, tend to assume ‘Bush isn't telling the truth.’ "This familiar sign that serves as a backdrop for White House press briefings will be coming down soon as the White House press corps bids a temporary farewell today to its run-down quarters in the West Wing, Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2006. The current briefing room dates to the 1970's, when Richard Nixon ordered an indoor swimming pool covered over. But seats are broken, walls are crumbling and the air conditioning's long overdue for replacement." (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
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