Online Resources
- Covering Watergate: 1972-1974In this case study, you will analyze primary sources about the Watergate affair, including the role of investigative journalism. You will also watch television coverage of Congress’s hearings into President Richard Nixon before writing your own front-page story on a modern-day example of investigative reporting.
- Effect of Watergate on Press CoverageReflections on changes to committee press coverage following the Watergate hearings.
- Fifty Years After Watergate, A Generation of Frightened EditorsThe Washington Post’s strange journey from ousting Richard Nixon to ousting Felicia Sonmez.
- The legacy of Watergate: Five ways life changed after the scandalOver the years, the scandal has been replayed in various forms. But here are five significant trends that came out of a story that developed over two years and captivated the nation.
- Journalists: Library of CongressThe papers of journalists remain one of the Manuscript Division's strongest areas of collecting. The twenty one collections described below feature materials on Watergate and include David Broder, Nancy Dickerson, Mary McGrory, Meg Greenfield, Neil Sheehan, Daniel Schor, Anthony Lewis, and Richard Dudman among many others.
- The Myth of the Media's Role in WatergateArticle on the media's role in Watergate from the History News Network of Columbian College of Arts & Sciences.
- The Press and WatergateThe Washington Post and its reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein deservedly won the Pulitzer Prize for demonstrating the immense value of an independent press.
- Watergate, the Bipartisan Struggle for Media Access, and the Growth of Cable TelevisionAs the televised Watergate hearings captivated the nation during the summer of 1973, they provided innovative programming that stimulated civic activism and taught Congress about the political power of television. Both of these developments ultimately boosted the fortunes of the cable television industry. The Senate hearings, which initiated a dramatic conclusion to a presidency that redefined the place of media in American political life, served to elevate a national conversation about the role of television in politics and to catalyze, across the political spectrum, a reconsideration of the structure of the broadcast network oligopoly. The post-Watergate era provided multiple opportunities to reimagine cable TV as a tool to assert political leadership, encourage civic engagement, and govern the public.
- Why the Press Will Never Have Another Watergate MomentFifty years ago, the nation was gripped by media coverage of Nixon’s crimes — and there was no Fox News to tell it to look away
- “Gavel-to-Gavel”: The Watergate Scandal and Public TelevisionIn February 1973, James Karayn, the president of the National Public Affairs Center for Television (NPACT), public broadcasting’s unit in Washington responsible for producing national news-related programming, had the daring idea of broadcasting the Senate Watergate hearings in full, or “gavel-to-gavel,” rebroadcasting each day’s complete proceedings in the evening for those unable to watch during the day. The result was one of the most popular series in public broadcasting history.
Political Cartoons
- Herblock, Watergate Cartoons, 1973–1974Collection of political cartoons on Watergate.
- Watergate: Portraiture and IntrigueOn the fiftieth anniversary of the Watergate break-in, this exhibition of photographs, paintings, sculpture, and works on paper from the National Portrait Gallery's collection brings visitors face-to-face with the scandal's cast of characters. Portraiture and visual biography combine to present us a new window through which to consider the questions raised by the crisis and its fallout.
Perspectives
On the Condition of Anonymity
Matt Carlson confronts the promise and perils of unnamed sources in this exhaustive analysis of controversial episodes in American journalism during the George W. Bush administration, from prewar reporting mistakes at the New York Times and Washington Post to the Valerie Plame leak case and Dan Rather's lawsuit against CBS News. Weaving a narrative thread that stretches from the uncritical post-9/11 era to the spectacle of the Scooter Libby trial, Carlson examines a tense period in American history through the lens of journalism. Revealing new insights about high-profile cases involving confidential sources, he highlights contextual and structural features of the era, including pressure from the right, scrutiny from new media and citizen journalists, and the struggles of traditional media to survive amid increased competition and decreased resources.
Thinking Clearly
Written by leading professional journalists and classroom-tested at schools of journalism, Thinking Clearly is designed to provoke conversation about the issues that shape the production and presentation of the news in the twenty-first century. These case studies depict real-life moments when people working in the news had to make critical decisions. Bearing on questions of craft, ethics, competition, and commerce, they cover a range of topics--the commercial imperatives of newsroom culture, standards of verification, the competition of public and private interests, including the question of privacy--in a variety of key episodes: Watergate, the Richard Jewell case, John McCain's 2000 presidential campaign, and the Columbine shooting, among others.
Image Galleries
- TIME Covers: WatergateA look back at the scandal that brought down Richard Nixon through TIME magazine covers.
The Legacy of Watergate: Why it still matters with Woodward and Bernstein at UT
Watergate and presidential accountability is discussed by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein in this taping from the University of Texas at Austin's College of Communication. Also weighing in on the discussion is Bruce Buchanan, professor of government; Francis J. Gavin, associate professor of public affairs, and Sanford Levinson, professor of law.