Journalistic Ethics during Presidential Scandal

1. Watergate and Clinton-Lewinsky: Journalistic Ethics during Presidential Scandal Matt Hladik and Kyle Kirkpatrick

2. Journalism and Presidential Scandal • Presidents as public figures • Widespread coverage • Gatekeeping and agenda-setting • Entertainment or news?

3. Watergate—Background • June, 17, 1972—burglary at DNC Headquarters • Allegations of espionage and sabotage • Story broken by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein • Led to Nixon’s resignation in 1974 • Not the first Presidential scandal, but it was the first of the modern media era and led to sweeping change.

4. Implications of Watergate • Ruined the American public’s image of the President as a human manifestation of “American values” • The President would no longer have a free pass from the members of the media • First public fallout of a major American figurehead….good imagery, soundbites, shock value etc…

5. Implications of Watergate • Heightened the adversarial relationship of the media and the President. • Created an entire new genre of reporting- investigative reporting. • Showed reporting could be inspiring, provocative, and noble. • Woodward and Bernstein were “the Orville and Wilbur Wright of investigative journalism.”

6. Use of Anonymous Sources • Woodward and Bernstein’s coverage of Watergate led to the widespread implementation of the anonymous source • The use of anonymous attribution has been the source of major debate and controversy post-Watergate • Two distinct factions have developed in journalism: people who use, advocate, or condone anonymous sourcing and those who do not.

7. The Factions: Opinions and Subscribers • Anti-anonymous sourcing: Feels like it could weaken the story or jeopardize credibility • Daly: “Must make every effort to go on the record.” • Not surprisingly, Bob Woodward has gone on the record to support anonymous sourcing • “The job of a journalist, particularly someone who’s spent time dealing in sensitive areas, is to find out, what really happened. When you are reporting on inside the White House, the Supreme Court, the CIA, or the Pentago, you tell me how you’re going to get stuff on the record. Look at the good reporting out of any of those institutions—it’s not on the record.” (AJR, 1994)

8. The Clinton-Lewinsky Scandal—Background • 1995—Monica Lewinsky hired as a White House intern • Series of 10 sexual encounters • Lewinsky subpoenaed in Paula Jones case • Kenneth Starr investigates • Michael Isikoff, Newsweek reporter, investigates, but magazine delays publishing

9. The Story Breaks • First public report of the scandal seen on Drudge Report • Clinton denies allegations • Extremely detailed Starr Report released • News reflects the sexual and borderline pornographic nature of the report

10. Media Coverage • Lewinsky allegations dismissed in Paula Jones case, but coverage is still pervasive • Rumors circulate on the internet • 24/7 cable news networks • Supply and demand • Pack journalism

11. Ethical Dilemma “There’s a school of thought that says if a rumor gets traction, then you write about it. There’s another school that says if you write about it, you give it validity.” --Josh Margolin, Star Ledger Reporter

12. Implications of the Clinton-Lewinsky Scandal • Decline of gatekeepingsensationalist journalism • Salience and dumbed-down news • Pressure on news outlets to report on rumors • Public’s “right to know”? • Drawing the line between news and drama/entertainment

13. Conclusion + Discussion Questions