Journalism as Ideologue (Watchdog Journalism)

Watchdog journalism falls under the element of journalism that states, "journalism must serve as an independent monitor of power." News media is considered the 4th estate for its duty as a watchdog on the other branches of government. Investigative reporting epitomizes what watchdog journalism is about- "deeply investigating a single topic of interest, often involving crime, political wrongdoing, or corruption."

Undoubtedly, the most well-known investigative reporting was the Watergate story which led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon. The Republican party orchestrated a wiretap of the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate complex in Washington D.C. When word leaked about the story by The Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, the Nixon administration tried to coverup what they had done. Only because of investigative reporting, the facts were published.

The watchdog role of journalism has weakened over time as conglomerates have gained more and more power. Despite having news programs dedicated to being "watch dogs," most of these programs do not monitor the powerful elite. The news programmers do not want to jeopardize their jobs. For example, the Walt Disney Corporation (Disney) owns and operates the ABC broadcast television network, as well as, cable television networks like Disney Channel, ESPN and ABC Family. It would be tough for a reporter from ABC NEWS to cover a story lead involving a scandal at Disney.

Independence in Journalism

Journalists must maintain an independence from those they cover. This directly relates to objectivity. Journalists cannot fulfill their role unless they have independence. Sure you can get the full story if you are experiencing what you are writing about. However, if you are not independent then you have a biased view when reporting. This is general knowledge in the news world. We can find evidence of this in the news this past week. NPR host, Michele Norris, stepped down as her husband joined Obama campaign. Her husband, Broderick Johnson the new senior advisor. Norris says, "she will rescue herself from all election coverage but will continue reporting for NPR on other subjects. She steps down as host at the end of next week" according to Fox News. People should admire Michele Norris for not concealing the role of her husband in Obama's campaign. Others have not taken the higher road in the past. Many journalists have written speeches for political figures and then praised them afterwards. One such example is William Kristol who commented on a speech given by John McCain when he in fact wrote the speech. Why can't people just be more transparent? Independence is one of the elements of journalism. Practice what you preach!