The Watergate Scandal In The 1970's

In the early 1960s, mainstream media suggested that there was a trust between American citizens and the government. Only a few years later, news outlets decided not to conform with the media norms of the time. In 1966, 61% of Americans trusted Washington to do the right thing (the highest percentage ever from 1958 to 2008), two years later this number had dropped to just 45%. Towards the end of the decade, the United States had progressed quickly, which also impacted the culture of journalism. Before the Watergate scandal, “Americans expressed high regard for the moral character of Richard Nixon”. In this time, “a new phase of American journalism emerged, which would reach its apex half a decade later with the 1971 publication of the Pentagon

After the Watergate Complex burglars were apprehended, the affair was at first considered a minor news story. In the United States, the 1970s were a turbulent decade characterized by tremendous social, political, and economic changes. It soon became clear that the break-in was a part of a greater effort of the Nixon administration. This effort included political sabotage and espionage. The investigation was led by prosecutor Archibald Cox. The investigation uncovered a network of criminal actions, including wiretapping, money laundering, and obstruction of justice. Nixon eventually resigned from office in 1974 as a result of the controversy. The Watergate scandal shook the public's confidence in the government and the media, as it became clear that the Nixon administration had engaged in illegal and unethical behavior to gain an advantage in the 1972 presidential

Watergate impacted me because it was one of the first political scandals I learned about. I remember learning about it in my social studies class during junior high. I found it very intriguing that this scandal caused the resignation of Nixon in August 1974, making him the first and only president of the United States to do so. Reforms in government ethics and campaign financing legislation were also brought about by the affair. Government ethics and political financing regulations were also changed as a result of the incident. The Watergate Complex and Watergate Hotel also played a crucial role in the scandal, and they have since been renovated and reopened. The scandal, which remains one of the biggest political upheavals in American history, had a profound effect on both politics and society. Washington, D.C. and the Watergate complex has become synonymous with the political scandal and the corruption that came alongside it. The Watergate incident had a long-lasting impact on American politics and culture, increasing public awareness of the need for transparency and responsibility in government while also increasing public scrutiny of government