During the Watergate scandal in 1974, many policy pundits wrote columns demanding that President Richard Nixon resign from the presidency because he was, in their view, clearly culpable for the Watergate break-ins. Not all pundits felt this way, however. Read articles that offer differing views of President Nixon at the height of the Watergate scandal.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/longterm/watergate/articles/050173-2.htm

http://www.thecrimson.com/article/1974/5/14/in-defense-of-richard-nixon-pithe/

Complete the following for this assignment:

• Step 1: Summarize the arguments made in each of the two articles regarding the conduct of President Nixon. How might each of the author's views impact the reader's understanding of the Watergate crisis?

• Step 2: Describe how the Watergate events changed American views toward politics and politicians. In your view, how did these events change the press coverage of politicians?

• Step 3: Speculate about how the Watergate event coverage might have been different (better or worse) in the age of social media and smartphones. Would it have lasted as long? Why or why not? Are these innovations in technology helpful or harmful to the way that people understand current events?