Balderas, an assistant professor of journalism, offered analysis about how the scandal that led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon impacted the media.
A recent three-part report by NBC News marking the 50th anniversary of the Watergate scandal included analysis by Assistant Professor of Journalism Israel Balderas.
The scandal that stemmed from the botched burglary of the Democratic National Committee Headquarters in the Watergate Hotel in 1972 would eventually lead to the resignation of President Richard Nixon two years after he enjoyed a landslide victory to earn a second term in office. Dogged investigative journalism by a host of media outlets produced coverage that uncovered the roots of the burglary and exposed widespread wrongdoing by the president and members of his administration.
“Post Watergate, we see newsrooms that become more skeptical of the official narratives and then individuals, citizens, society, the viewers, the readers — they also become skeptical but not just of government but also of news as well,” Balderas said during the third of three installments in the series.
Balderas also examined the aftermath of the leak of the Pentagon Papers, which fostered widespread doubts about the future of the Vietnam War, in the first installment of the series and Balderas offered insight into how the news media behaved toward power prior to Watergate in the second installment.
Balderas wrote about the legacy of Watergate in 2022 on the 50th anniversary of the break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters, noting then that holding the powerful accountable is a lasting impact from the scandal.
“Journalists are supposed to monitor and keep a check on people and institutions in power in order to protect the public’s interests. That’s the legacy of Watergate. By challenging such power through watchdog journalism, the press shines a light into the dark corners of power,” Balderas wrote then.
An Emmy Award-winning broadcast journalist-turned journalism educator, Balderas is also an attorney who has provided pro bono support focused on First Amendment protection for newsgathering. At Elon, he predominately teaches Media Law and Ethics, with his teaching and research agenda focusing on government regulation of expression and newsgathering.