Watergate opens the floodgates

The journalistic achievement of Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward were of investigative journalism importance. They sought out the truth but more important than that, they acted independently in how they gathered their facts.

They used independent direct sources, such as ‘deep throat’ to get to the root of the truth. They did not depend on investigators to theorize on what had happened. Woodward and Bernstein under the Washington Post single handedly uncovered the Watergate scandal and lead a two man army into Nixon’s Whitehouse; they literally “brought the president to his knees.”

Woodward and Bernstein revitalized the first amendment and the free press togther they re-established the fourth estate’s role in watchdog journalism. Their Watergate pursuit led to a great chain of events, from changes in legislation that monitored political forces to other news organizations joining in, like the NY Times investigative team and the CBS 60 minutes investigative news show.

Through intricate investigative reporting Woodward and Bernstein “known as the dynamic duo” reported solemnly alone on the CIA break in which led the road to a great government conspiracy.


Woodward and Bernstein used the freedom of information act to support their watchdog role, for “only a free and unrestrained press can effectively expose deception in government”. They revolutionized investigative journalism and established the Washington Post as hard hitting watchdog journalism. Thus this watchdog principle that guided both men reinvented the wheel of gathering and pursuing investigative news.

Discipline of Verification

Journalists first obligation is to the truth...the truth must be sought and facts must be vigorously checked in order to be loyal to it's most important obligation, its citizens.

Walter Lippmann as quoted in "the elements of journalism" said, "it does not matter that the news is not susceptible of mathematical statement. In fact, just because news is complex and slippery good reporting requires the exercise if the highest scientific virtues."

Unlike Edward R. Murrow's era of objectivity in news, something he was firmly against, the scientific method of objectivity does not relate to the aim of the craft but to the discipline.

Bottom line objectivity is in the method not the aim.

The scientific method applies to several principles,

1. Never add anything that was not there.
2. Never deceive the audience.
3. Be as tranparent as possible.
4. Rely on your own original reporting.
5. Exercise humility.

Today journalists rarely practice the objective method in gathering news.

Good Night and Good luck: Murrow hit the nail on the coporate head

Edward R. Murrow played a major role in establishing the way in which television would approach journalism. He unraveled the concept of objectivity and instead handled news coverage with great use of consciousness and unsightliness. “See it now” was television’s first broadcast news show dedicated to important public and controversial issues.

Murrow left no stone unturned while he maintained an open forum for criticism and discussion, something print journalism did not accomplish. No longer were news one-sided recital of facts, Murrow brought intellect and constructive criticism to all newsworthy causes. His attack on McCarthy indeed was the first blow to the end of the McCarthy era but more importantly it was the decisive blow to the transformation of broadcast journalism.

"Good Night and Goodluck" brought the legend back to life, they highlighted the reporter's passion for keeping the public informed. The movie places all of the emphasis on Murrow's most infamous documentary, the "McCarthy show".

Murrow arose out of the "Neutrality Doctrine" and did not believe quality truthful news could be delivered out of objectivity. The movie really put this point into forefront. Most of all the movie showed Murrow at his finest hour, his speech in front of the Association of Journalists, warning of the effects commercial profits will have on public broadcasting.

Murrow was truly ahead of his time, he predicted the reality we live in today.

The American public today is informed by network corporate owned news. Just as Murrow feared , the truth is being filtered, and the truth my friends is more unreliable and scarce than ever. Edward R. Murrow indeed hit the nail on the head...

The McCarthy era: O'Rielly era(is McCarthyism back?)

McCarthyism epitomizes an, that America was limited to one-sided print reports, and unchecked facts were published as the news.

In mightier than the sword we learned the state in which news were gathered and delivered to the public. During the McCarthy era political news was not of importance or for that matter investigated. News wires were the medium in which to obtain the latest news.

McCarthy was a master at exploiting this. He made sure to make his communist accusations at the exact hour of the day that news wires services had to turn in their deadlines. Thus the news that was sent out to the public tended to be one-sided stories that were un-checked and flat out sensationalized.

The newswires during the 1950’s had a big influence on the way news were broadcasted in radio, practically all the news were coming from the newswires. McCarthy also exploited journalism’s concept of objectivity, for news at that time merely recited facts and unconscientious news reporting.

Is amazing and pretty scary how O’Reilly is a blatant resemblance of the late senator. His far right rants and methods in interviewing guest epitomizes McCarthy during his hay day.

O’Reilly’s main tactic is to force his right winged, bias point of view in front of anybody who opposes him. The way he yells at his guests and never lets them get a word in edge wise, is parallel to McCarthy. O’Reilly like McCarthy is master at using the defective media to get his propaganda attention. Anybody who is aware of McCarthy well knows, that O’Reilly is his living reincarnation.

But there's only muck to rake

Muckraking truly marked the most important time in journalistic history. According to Streitmatter it was the “golden age of reform”. Post WWII America’s economy expanded with its uses of offices, factories and manpower thus became a “country of the corporation, for the corporation, by the corporation.” Government developed laissez-faire policies that increased corporate profits while by-passing the common masses. Among these masses arose voices that would give perspective and dig deep into the abuses of government and corporate powers. Dozens of journalistic magazines through great writings and anecdotes gave voices to the peril and depraved.

The U.S. corporate sector was infected with corruption and it took intense investigative measures to bring out the coercion, that government was not willing deploy. President Theodore Roosevelt attacked these journalists for only highlighting the negatives in society, but how else could laws to protect the public have been made. They used the same power of the press that yellow journalism did, instead they benefited society as a whole. Yes they were Muckrakers, but is not their fault that underneath the surface of a capitalist society all there is, is muck, and thank goodness that there were pioneers to rake it.

The lies that led to war, two centuries ago and today

In chapter 5 of “Mightier than the Sword”, the author Rodger Streimatter explores the roots of yellow journalism, a time in American history where the truth was obscure and obsolete over sensationalism. Two pioneers set the stage in 1863 for fictional journalism. Today known as infotainment, this type of news publishing strived to warp the reality of truths, which in return extended over to a larger demographic.

Joseph Pulitzer "once a penniless immigrant" respectively pioneered the era of new journalism. William Randolph Hearst son of Senator came from the other end of the social ladder. Pulitzer's "World" and Hearst’s "Examiner" magazine’s "hammered at injustice while highlighting murder and scandal'. Previously print publications, tailored only to the upper classes while ignoring the disgruntled masses. Newspapers were infected with old order jargon and inaccurate, careless rants.

According to Streitmatter both men became readable magazines, serving the new urban laboring class. From revolutionary sports and women’s articles to hard-hitting, controversial exposes on sweatshops and conditions of city hospitals, both men set the roots for investigative reporting.

At the end of the nineteenth century two men with different backgrounds set out to accomplish the same goal of conquering the new frontier. Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst dominated the era of sensationalistic journalism, and catapulted their circulation profits from 250,000 to 1.25 million.

Furthermore, the two men single handily instigated the United States to declare war on Spain during the Cuban revolution. Their shocking headlines, that was originally intended for the greater good of mankind turned into vicious competition for readership and circulation. They over dramatized everything and distorted the truths, from Spanish soldiers harassing and tormenting Cuban civilians to the implication of Spanish involvement in the explosion of the Maine. With their bitter circulation rivalries, they led the way for American imperialism and journalistic dynamism to come together.

President McKinley attempted to be the voice of reason among the chaos, attributing the explosion to other causes, but in the midst of the darkest period in journalism. Not even the president of the United States could shed some light. Ultimately the sensationalized stories led the country to war with Spain, and cost the lives of over 5,000 soldiers. Yellow journalism proved to be stronger that the three branches in government, the systematic manipulation and dissemination of information prevailed over logic and reason.

It’s amazing to me how sensationalized journalism always seems to prevail over grounded truth. This time in history is a frightening reminder of the media circus that surrounded post 9-11’s supposed war on terrorism. Today we still see how mainstream media overdramatizes issues for private interests and manages to coerce the public with lies and half-analyzed truths.

What’s even more amazing is the power of the news medium and how they can propel an entire nation to sympathize with going to war. You would think we have evolved since the nineteenth century; however our status today is not much different from the yellow journalism era. Both wars were pushed for mere profit and gain, but at the end of it all, it is the people who fall victim of these fabricated realities and follow suit. I like to think of this era the beginning of mainstream media today.