The Role Of Media In The 1970's

After witnessing the complete social and cultural upheaval of the 1960’s, Americans did not expect to see as an exciting of a decade in the 1970’s. However, new forms of media and an increased dependence of the news allowed people to witness a decade in which journalism expanded and pushed new boundaries. The 1970’s displayed the country’s dependence upon newspapers as a primary source of their daily information, along with a shift in government coverage. Two of the decade’s biggest stories came early on with the New York Times’ reporting of the Pentagon Papers in 1971 and the Washington Post’s coverage of Watergate scandal between 1972 and 1976.1 The 70’s displayed a trend of younger journalists with higher ideals. Instead of simply
Major trends included greater cynicism of government, advancement in civil rights, increased influence of the women 's movement, and environmental awareness.8 During the course of the Vietnam War, Americans suffered through a slight depression. The news, in television and paper, became a way to constantly stay aware of national and international proceedings.9 The war led to a heightened interest in daily-televised news. In turn, the Vietnam War became commonly known as the “Living Room” War, as families were able to see the violence occurring overseas.10 In addition, the Watergate scandal, Roe v. Wade in 1973, the Fall of Saigon in 1975, among other major news stories, were all landmark historical moments—thus making the news more culturally relevant than ever at the
Usual standards of accuracy were usually nonexistent and were often dependent on the mood of a place or event.12 Writers such as Truman Capote, Tom Wolfe, Hunter S. Thompson and others created a form of journalism in which writers became more artistic and created “nonfiction novels.” The accuracy and reporting in these stories became the subject of controversy and caused mistrust in journalistic integrity.13 Traditional journalists argued that the professional journalistic norms of accuracy and factual verifiability discouraged the use of techniques such as inner monologue and excessive, over-the-top detail. However, the controversy of fact-and-fiction reporting in the 1970’s led to more established rules and guidelines for journalists. Many major journalistic organizations and individual news organizations established codes and standards to limit the involvement of their journalists in activities that could potentially "embarrass their organizations."14 Thus, while much of the 70’s reflected a “crusading-yet-objective” style of journalism, sensationalism and exaggeration were both still very much