VOL. XV, NO. 7
FEBRUARY 8, 1974
Press Exposes Truth
By PAT LAUTEN
It all started as a routine story of a burglary at the Watergate Hotel. Before long it became known as the Watergate scandal. For almost a year now the American people have been lied to, cheated, and deceived by the highest echelons of government.
The scandal has been living proof of the power of the press and its effects on national events. On January 24 I had the pleasure of attending the O'Hare Executive's Club luncheon featuring ABC news correspondents Bill Gill, Ted Koppel, and Joel Daly.
Bill Gill has been in the news business for over 20 years and is currently covering Capitol Hill. Ted Koppel has been with ABC news since 1966 when he journeyed to Vietnam. As ABC's foreign correspondent he has traveled many miles and covered such things as the release of American war prisoners in Hanoi, the Vietnam War, and President Nixon's historic trip to China. Joel Daly is a familiar face in Chicago as part of the Flynn‑Daly‑Frink‑Coleman news team.
It all started as a routine story of a burglary at the Watergate Hotel. Before long it became known as the Watergate scandal. For almost a year now the American people have been lied to, cheated, and deceived by the highest echelons of government.
The scandal has been living proof of the power of the press and its effects on national events. On January 24 I had the pleasure of attending the O'Hare Executive's Club luncheon featuring ABC news correspondents Bill Gill, Ted Koppel, and Joel Daly.
Bill Gill has been in the news business for over 20 years and is currently covering Capitol Hill. Ted Koppel has been with ABC news since 1966 when he journeyed to Vietnam. As ABC's foreign correspondent he has traveled many miles and covered such things as the release of American war prisoners in Hanoi, the Vietnam War, and President Nixon's historic trip to China. Joel Daly is a familiar face in Chicago as part of the Flynn‑Daly‑Frink‑Coleman news team.
Into these men's hands is entrusted the duty of getting behind the secrecy of governmental operations and exposing the Watergates and the Spiro Agnews of our time. Judging by the questions asked of these men, many people feel their trust in government has been betrayed.
"Why doesn't the press report anything good?" was the most frequent question asked. "With over 3,000 public relations men working in Washington, naturally they are going to give good news about the President," Mr. Gill explained. "Therefore, it is our job as newsmen to get behind all that and get at the real truth."
The real truth. How much is biased reporting? "We police ourselves," says Ted Koppel. "There's nothing we like more than criticizing another station for biased reporting. That alone will keep us honest."
Can you believe everything you read? Not really. But with men like Bill Gill, Ted Koppel, and Joel Daly working to keep us all honest, maybe it will be a long time before America experiences another Watergate.
"Why doesn't the press report anything good?" was the most frequent question asked. "With over 3,000 public relations men working in Washington, naturally they are going to give good news about the President," Mr. Gill explained. "Therefore, it is our job as newsmen to get behind all that and get at the real truth."
The real truth. How much is biased reporting? "We police ourselves," says Ted Koppel. "There's nothing we like more than criticizing another station for biased reporting. That alone will keep us honest."
Can you believe everything you read? Not really. But with men like Bill Gill, Ted Koppel, and Joel Daly working to keep us all honest, maybe it will be a long time before America experiences another Watergate.
