Vietnam, Watergate, and the Fall of President NixonThe events leading up to the resignation of President Nixon on August 8, 1974 saw many major advances in mass media in society. The Freedom of Information Act has revolutionized the way journalists obtain information. Second, reporting on the scandal cost the American people's trust in the United States government. Third, media coverage of the aftermath of the Watergate scandal changed the way Americans view the United States. Finally, journalism on the Watergate scandal divided the American people in terms of political positions and beliefs. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, “media is the plural form of media.” A medium, for example, can be a television channel or an article in a newspaper. Additionally, there are different forms of media, from radio to newspapers. The newspaper played a major role in quickly disseminating information from the Washington Post's first story about the five men who broke into the Watergate complex until President Nixon resigned. Not only did the newspaper play a major role in breaking story after story about the Watergate scandal, but the methodology used to obtain information also changed. The Freedom of Information Act has revolutionized the way journalists can obtain information to incorporate into their reporting. For the first time, journalists used anonymous sources to protect their personal identities. Thus, more information could be obtained using this method. For example, “Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein used an anonymous informant codenamed “Deep Throat” to provide vital information to several articles published in the Washington Post. (Lewis, 1972)Journali...... middle of paper ......The country has learned from examples like Watergate by passing numerous laws to prevent scandals like Watergate from happening again, called Watergate reforms. For example, a law enacted in 1978 requires “Senators, Representatives and certain close relatives to file annual reports detailing their income and investments.” (Stencel, 1997) However, I believe that the perception of the American government by the people of the United States depends to a large extent on reliable news. It is the journalist's job to have enough character to ensure that they publish reliable information. For example, watching “The O'Reilly Factor” with host Bill O'Reilly on Fox News misinforms the American public using its bellicose and unprofessional way of delivering information. Plus, his tactics are clearly those of the right, making Fox News' motto, "Fair and Balanced," a complete lie...