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The Watergate Scandal: The Fourth Branch Of Government

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media has always been a vital role in history. Media is the source of information that people use to become informed on current events. It serves as the public's "watchdog" by checking the government on any disinformation. Media is often named as the fourth branch of government because of its ability to hold the government accountable. However, I don't believe that the media should hold the title of the fourth branch of government. The freedom of the press is protected by the first amendment to the United States Constitution. The Founding Fathers protected the freedom of the press with the intention that they report the news without being restricted. If the government regulated the press then, it becomes propaganda instead of factual information. In countries such as North Korea and China, the news is controlled. Therefore, the citizens of the respective countries are limited to the content that the government creates and approves. In these countries, the media can no longer share negative news to the people about what is happening in their country. For these reasons, the freedom of press allows media in the United States to share news without regulations. Government accountability has always been a fundamental pillar of our democratic society. Media holds the government to their words and actions. The …show more content…

history. Former President Richard Nixon and his administration attempted to cover-up a break-in at the DNC Headquarters. Consequently, his involvement in the cover-up attempt was discovered by two reporters at the Washington Post. Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein were given information from an anonymous source. Their persistence in reporting the espionage behind Watergate led to the writing of a hard-hitting exposé which sparked a widespread investigation by the FBI. In other words, the act of the media holding the government accountable was a massive check on the Nixon

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