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Why the report on the Watergate break-in is considered an investigative report? Cite the elements that make it so.Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein of the Washington Post investigated the June 17, 1972 burglary of the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee in Watergate Building at 2600 Virginia Avenue, Washington, D.C. They first cracked the Watergate scandal that led to the resignation of US President Richard Nixon.Their news report titled “GOP Security Aide Among 5 Arrested in Bugging” and published on June 19, 1972 is considered an investigative report because they themselves conducted their own investigations, interviewing news sources and following money and paper trails. At that time, they have a speculation that the burglary was linked to the White House.What is the main point or charge being made in the story?The main point or charge being made in the story was some speculation linking the crime with the White House, which Ron Ziegler, press secretary to the president dismissed it as “third-rate burglary.” Former CIA employee James W McCord Jr. was connected with the Committee to Re-elect the President (CREEP) as security coordinator. Later, McCord would implicate CREEP and would admit to perjury.Eventually, follow up reports made it clear that the break-in had been orchestrated by high-ranking officials of the Nixon administration and the Committee to Re-elect the President. On the course of their reporting, political dirty tricks was revealed including burglary, wiretapping, and disruption of Democratic Party activities.Where did the first lead come from? How did Woodward and Bernstein ascertain that the first lead was worth pursuing?The first lead came from two burglars who have the phone number of Howard Hunt, a White House aide and CIA consultant. Woodward and Bernstein started digging. Interviews with other aides and cabinet members uncover contradictory stories. Woodward and Bernstein ascertained that the first lead was worth pursuing after following money and paper trails and found substantial documents that supported their hypothesis that White House was connected with the burglary.What were the major documents Woodward and Bernstein used in the story? How were they used to support the charge(s) raised in their report?The major documents Woodward and Bernstein used in the story were a $25 000 cashier's check, apparently earmarked for the Nixon campaign, wound up in the bank account of a Watergate burglar, the White House tape recordings that sparked a legal and political battle between the Congress and the President, and a memorandum addressed to John Ehrlicman describing in detail the plans to burglarize the office of Pentagon Papers defendant Daniel Ellsberg's psychiatrist.The documents were used to link one government officials to another who were connected with the Watergate Scandal. In the end, investigations were conducted by the US Congress.Who were the key human sources in the report? What information did they provide to buttress the allegations the two reporters made?The key human sources in the report were Deep Throat, a high-level source, and Judy Hoback, Committee for the Re-election of the President bookkeeper. They confirmed the veracity of a secret Republican Fund, controlled by John Mitchell, US attorney general, used to finance widespread intelligence gathering operations against the democrats.What were the major obstacles the two reporters faced in accessing documents? In dealing with sources? What strategies did they use to overcome the obstacles?Woodward and Bernstein had a hard time accessing documents because at that time the Freedom of Information Act was not yet passed. News sources were seemingly uncooperative or were not brave enough to speak. However, because they know that that their subject is delicate and that investigative journalism encompasses tedious process, they took much effort and patience in digging information. One time, Bernstein even wheedled himself into the house of Judy Hoback, CREEP bookkeeper, and ended up staying for hours drinking coffee and subtly interrogating her.
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How did Woodward and Bernstein ascertain the integrity of the information they had gathered? Explain the techniques used in checking and double-checking sensitive information. Woodward and Bernstein ascertain the integrity of the information they had gathered by digging more information via investigations and by following the money and paper trails and by conducting intensive personal interviews, knocking from one door to another, refused many times, until they found Judy Hoback, Committee for the Re-election of the President bookkeeper, who was subtly interrogated over cups and cups of coffee. The gathered information was confirmed by Deep Throat, a high-level source, who said “Tell me what you know and I'll confirm.”List down some of the ethical dilemmas Woodward and Bernstein had faced and how they resolved these.The ethical dilemmas that Woodward and Bernstein hade faced were the veracity of a telephone interview, the ethics of recording information without permission, the need to identify yourself a reporter all the time when trying to obtain information, and knocking from one door to another even during late nights that seemingly intruded one's privacy. However, Woodward and Bernstein continued because they taught that the people have the right to know, and this right comes first before anything else. Ben Bradlee even told them that “Nothing's riding on this except the first amendment of the Constitution, freedom of the press, and maybe the future of this country” and no matter what they might think that the “show must go on”-continue digging substantial information.What role did the editors play in the investigation?Some of the editors questioned the Woodward and Bernstein's coverage. Ben Bradlee, Washington Post executive editor, stood by his young reporters and allowed that their articles be printed. Barry Sussman, though absent in the film, helped Woodward and Bertstein piece their discoveries into a meaningful pattern.Besides the resignation of President Nixon, cite the other consequences of Woodward and Bernstein's investigation.President Richard Nixon, who was almost impeached because of obstruction of justice, abuse of power, and contempt of Congress, resigned on August 9, 1974 after Republication senators informed him that enough votes existed to convict him.Besides, Vice-President Spiro T Agnew resigns after pleading no contest to a charge of income tax evasion. He was sentenced to three years of unsupervised probation and a $10 000 fine.The other consequences are as follows: (1) forty government officials were jailed or indicted; (2) James McCord, CREEP security director was jailed; (3) Charles Colson, Special Counsel to the President was jailed; (4) John Mitchell, Attorney General and CREEP chairman, was jailed; (5) John Dean, White House legal counsel was sacked and subsequently jailed; (6) H R Haldeman and John Erlichman, White House staff, resigned and subsequently jailed; (7) Howard Hunt and G Gordon Liddy, the former White House staff who planned the Watergate break in, was jailed. Indirectly, the Woodward and Bernstein's investigation was the cause of new laws leading to extensive changes in campaign financing and was the major factor in the passage of Freedom of Information Act and other laws requiring financial disclosures of government officials. The investigation led to a new era where mass media became more aggressive in reporting activities of politicians. A new generation of reporters embraced investigative reporting and sought to uncover new scandals in the increasing amounts of financial information being released about politicians and their campaigns.