Christian+Martinez's+Annual+Project

Christian Maritnez 901

__The Watergate Scandal__

My annual project is about the criminal republican former president Richard M. Nixon In 1973 Nixon made a huge crime against the democrats, he made a act called Watergate. This forever changed how journalism changed as well as the people. There was a rise in investigative reporting. There were more use of anonymous sources which was dangerous. A new huge distrust between journalism/press and the white house.

Journalism has changed since the Watergate scandal for three reasons. One reason is because the rise in investigative reporting. Another is there were more use of more anonymous sources. Last is the new distrust between media and white house. For example according to the Washington post investigators had found tape recorders in the white house that belonged to Nixon. At the time for this crime when investigators and press herd about this they immediate had spread this to the public and the people weren't happy to hear about this. After this happened the people didn't care want the white house had said as well as the president, which is a serous problem because now people hear a president's speech they have hatred towards them and just say " yea, yea". They wouldn't believe them anymore.

For anonymous sources, they popularized the use of anonymous sources. Journalist today should be more judicious about their use of anonymous sources. When they do get information from people they use their names and show their faces. Back then journalism didn't use people's name and show their faces and today they show faces and name. This is very dangerous because people would lie and the press would get the wrong information and could cause serous trouble as riots and wars between countries. Most importantly it would spread a lot more hatred towards one and another. It can also get the other person killed if they told something they weren't suppose to.

The rise investigative reporting have gotten worse. It had become common for newsrooms to have an investigative team. Newsroom budgets have trended but then they hurt that trend. Their was a new distrust between the press and the white house that forever changed history. The public and the press always assume that presidents always lie unless there's prof. This happened because of president Nixon, in 1973 Nixon had hired many people to break-in the democratic office and steal any information about the democrat's wanting to make Nixon resign and take him out as president.

Before the press and the public believed what the president would say as well as the information the white house would give. Even stubborn reporters couldn't believe the criminal act of the break-in of the Democratic office. From the president's doing they didn't believe president's anymore. In 1973 people would vote on presidents who were smart and trustworthy to them. They didn't care how they look. Now if you run for president looking all sloppy and face all mess up then you didn't know what you were talking about. People wouldn't vote for you at all.