One thing's for sure. Deep Throat, their anonymous source for many of the stories, was instrumental in helping them uncover the Watergate scandal. For years Deep Throat's identity remained a mystery until Mark Felt, former associate director of the FBI, admitted in 2005 that he was, in fact, the parking garage informant. Click here to view a brief newscast about Mark Felt's death a few years ago. While some praise Felt for his courage, others consider him a traitor for leaking classified information to reporters. Click here to see this point of view.
Do you think Deep Throat was a hero? Or was he maybe someone who disliked President Nixon and used Woodward and Bernstein for his own agenda? How do you feel about the value and trustworthiness of anonymous sources?
Photo courtesy of The Guardian.
Note: This photo appears under the legal concept of Fair Use in copyright law. Fair use allows the reproduction of copyrighted material for certain purposes without obtaining permission and without paying a fee or royalty. Purposes permitting the application of fair use generally include review, news reporting, teaching, or scholarly research.
Deep Throat...hero or traitor?
ReplyDeleteEveryone has a different opinion,and I would love to share mine: DT was a hero, someone who was brave enough to take the right path while all of the ignorant lemmings took the wrong one. To be the man who single-handedly (among authorities and sources for the Washington Post)decided to step up and speak the truth, would be an honor. Officials who were loyal to Nixon, most taking part in the illegal action itself, sloughed off the responsibility of letting the good of America know what was going on. To be someone in the White House at that time, taking part in the unknown actions, would be absolutely revolting.
Knowing you had information, that could potentially overthrow someone who was a threat, would you be a hero or a traitor?
In my opinion I would consider Deep throat a hero, he put himself in danger to help Woodward and Bernstein uncover the truth. Nixon was doing something illegal and therefor it was right for Deep throat to give information to Woodward, as it states in the article no one is above the law including the president. I think though that anonymous sources are not of as high a value as actual listed sources because people and editors for that matter want to know concrete evidence and with anonymous sources people might be skeptical. I think that if Woodward and Bernstein had the technology we do today it would have made it easier to contact people and to write out their actual story but it might also be harder because if something was done by Nixon or his men on the computer it would be really easy to cover it up and make important or illegal documents lost forever.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Deep Throat was a hero, because it was about something that could potentially harm America. If anyone in a hostile country had found out, it would have been very easy to attack us while our leaders squabbled amongst themselves and the reporters and stealing money that should have been used for more productive services. I think that it wouldn't be harder or easier to uncover this kind of truth nowadays, because we have more advanced computers, meaning it is easier to hide things, but they will always exist. Homeland security is more intense, so it would be harder to get away with hiding information like this.
ReplyDeleteGiven the technology we have today I think Woodward and Bernstein's jobs would have been easier. Not only would security cameras have caught much more footage from the numerous illegal acts Nixon's men were doing, but people with the knowledge needed could hack computer software and can possibly find any hidden evidence that they could have had. Woodward and Bernstein could have also researched online much of the facts they searched for, which would have taken much less time.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion Deep Throat wasn't a traitor nor hero. To consider him a hero I feel as if he could have acted with more integrity and courage in the way he handled giving out the information, but nonetheless I do feel what he did was the right thing to do whether it was done heroically or not.
An anonymous source I think amongst anyone is valued less than a named source and is less trusted. I feel almost as if whatever information you are giving out you should take responsibility and credit for it, depending on your safety in the situation.
I think that technology today would make it more difficult for Woodward and Bernstein to get information. There is so much info out there online, it's hard to tell what is true and what isn't. You can't always use the "I saw it on the Internet, so it must be true" way of thinking, as we investigated in class.
ReplyDeleteI would consider Deep Throat to be a hero to the country because he not only risked his job but his life to help Woodward and Bernstein uncover the truth. I don't think he necessarily disliked President Nixon, but he didn't like his actions, so he tried his best to bring him to justice. However, anonymous sources can be risky, because you don't know if the information is true or not. I think that while covering the Watergate story, Woodward and Bernstein took a huge risk in trusting an anonymous source.
What Deep Throat did was the right thing to do. The information that he leaked may have been confidential, but far greater harm would have been done if he had chosen to keep what he knew secret. Allowing actions like those of Nixon and his men to remain secret would have been the end of an opportunity to create a country where no man, no matter how important, is above the law.
ReplyDeleteThe risk of using an anonymous source depends to an extent on the source. If a reporter knows that a source is trustworthy, the risk he or she runs in using this source is not as high. Although the public may initially distrust an anonymous source, if the information the source provides is correct, eventually the public will come to value the information.
The increased use of surveillance may have resulted in Nixon's men having left a more conspicuous trail for Woodward and Bernstein. This would have made their work easier. The drawback of increased surveillance to the reporters could have been making them easier targets for anybody seeking to disrupt the investigation.
It's actually a little ironic how Buchanan and Colson are saying that Deep Throat is a traitor when they were the ones helping cover up the entire Watergate Scandal.
ReplyDeleteI don't think Felt did what he did because he felt resentment that he didn't get a promotion. I believe that he was doing what any American who had a decent set of morals would do - he told the truth. A lot of people got a lot of flak from it along the way, but in the end, he did what was right.
I think Felt would have been a traitor if he had kept the information to himself and resigned quietly. It would just show that he didn't take his job seriously - something which he obviously did, given the circumstances.
And on the note of whether Woodward and Bernstein's job would have been easier given the current technology, I believe it would. I'd like to bring up Julian Assange, the founder of Wikileaks, who leaked thousands of confidential files onto the internet for anyone in the world to download. If Woodward and Bernstein were investigating this so thoroughly, somebody (be it the reporters or someone else on the internet) would be bound to hack into the system and retrieve confidential information.
I definitely feel that Deep Throat was a hero. He saw that there was something illegal and immoral going on at the White House, and despite the danger that he, personally, was facing by taking on the Presidency, he persevered for truth. Whether or not he disliked President Nixon, the basic fact remains that Nixon did something illegal, and someone needed to expose that. Whether he did that to further his own agenda or not is irrelevant.
ReplyDeleteI think anonymous sources are very helpful, as evidenced by Deep Throat, but there has to be a limit. People reading the story need to know who is providing the information, otherwise they are forced to trust just what the paper is telling them.
I also think that Woodward and Bernstein would have had an easier time investigating Watergate if they had current technology. The internet makes finding and sharing information incredibly simple, and the advent of social networking would make contacting and questioning sources much easier.
It takes a lot of bravery and courage to do something that may be deemed traitor- like by someone's peers and colleagues. Despite the risks in telling reporters confidential information, Deep Throat did what he knew was right and ignored what was expected of him by his boss; to keep his mouth closed and pretend he didn't know what was going on. It was Deep Throat who told Woodward he had news to share with him and to meet in the parking garage. Deep Throat knew that if someone higher up found out about these secret meetings, he could lose his job. I truly believe that Deep Throat is a hero. It takes a real hero to do what everyone considers wrong in order to do what they know is right.
ReplyDeleteAs for Woodward and Bernstein's job, I feel it would be easier today with all of the technology. Nowadays, there are security cameras in so many places that doing something secretive is almost impossible.
I feel that it would be much easier if Bernstein and Woodard were to investigate the Watergate break in today. All the record sof the money would've been online somewhere so it would be much easier trying to access them through the internet than going door-to-door asking the workers were the money went.
ReplyDeleteI view Mark Felt as a hero. He gave very important information to Woodard, and he helped to tell and let Americans know what the President was doing. He helped bring justice to this case. If he had not helped by giving Woodard information, Nixon could've stayed President, even though he was doing illegal things. Also I believe that Felt knew Woodard was a person to be trusted, he would not just give FBI secrets to anyone on the street, he knew that the information would be given to the people through the newspaper.
Mark Felt is undoubtedly a hero. Although he leaked government secrets, he exposed an organization that was breaking the laws it had sworn to uphold. Nixon seems to have thought he was above the law; what if he had never been caught? How many others would have ignored the laws they swore to uphold? How much illegal or immoral activity would go on right under the noses of the American people? It is far better, in my opinion, that the slush fund and other illegal activities be brought to light than Felt keeping quiet and risking the integrity of the entire federal government. To do as the two Nixon aides suggested and publicly resign may not have been good enough; Nixon was so popular at the time that many would have dismissed Felt as simply bitter about not getting the top position in the FBI. Felt took the appropriate action to uphold the rule of law; if only everyone could be so brave and stand up so strongly for what they believe in!
ReplyDeleteIf Bernstein and Woodward were to investigate the Watergate break-in today, it would be easier because they would have many sources available to them and additional means of private communication. The reporters would not have to go door to door looking for information. However, the credibility of these sources might have been questionable; with so many of them, it would be hard to separate the fact from the fiction. Also, with the huge focus on national security today, Woodward and Bernstein might have been totally denied access to any Watergate-related information, under the pretense that to reveal it would be to threaten the American people.
Regarding anonymous sources, I think it is best to know your source very well beforehand so you know that they trust you and you can trust them. As a reporter, you also know what kind of bias or prejudices they may have, which would help you to write the story in a more objective way.
I think that Woodward and Berstin's job would be immensely easier due to the ability to Google search someone's name, for example ,and be able to find their job and or phone number.
ReplyDeleteI think that Deep Throat is a hero because he helped lead the reporters in the correct direction he could not have been a traitor for he did not give out any specific information. I do not think that Deep Throat used the reporters for his own agenda to get back at Nixon. I think he just had issues with what the government was doing because it was so unfair and unconstitutional.
I feel that anonymous sources are harder to trust because it makes it easy for reporters to fabricate evidence and mess up the quotes. It is also hard for an editor (and the people) to trust an anonymous source compared to a named source.
I definitely feel Mark Felt is a hero. He did reveal confidential information, but he was not doing so with the wrong intentions. He simply felt what was going on was wrong, and he went about helping uncover the scandal in a good way. Had he not revealed the things he did, we may have never figured out that Nixon was a huge part of the Watergate scandal. On that note, I think it would be much easier for Woodward and Bernstein to investigate Watergate in today's world. Communication is so much easier now and people could have shared their information anonymously. Twitter and Facebook probably would have played a role in uncovering the happenings of Watergate if they had existed then. I think people would be more willing to talk today than back then because there is strength in numbers and once one person says something other people follow their lead and start to discuss the matter openly.
ReplyDeleteI believe that Woodward and Bernstein's job would have been made much easier with the technology we have today. Just look at Wiki Leaks! Top Secret information is being found out and leaked without leaving the comfort of your home!
ReplyDeleteAs for Deep Throat, I believe he was a hero. The information Deep Throat had hold of was obviously crucial to catching everyone involved in the scandal. Colson says that Felt should have gone to the President with this information to avoid gov't humiliation, but Deep Throat did the right thing. The president was apart of Watergate! He was well aware of everything taking place! If Felt had gone to Nixon, the President would have just tried to bribe him! Its not like he hadn't done it before! Felt was put in an awful situation. A situation where you are unsure with who you can trust. I believe that Mark W. Felt did the best job that anyone could do with the information he had.
I believe Woodward and Bernstein's job would have been significantly easier today. Considering all of the surveillance and incredible technology of our times, I don't think it would be very easy for someone like Nixon to get away with what he did.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, I consider Mark Felt to be a hero. He did what anyone with morals would do- he told the truth. I would not go as far as to say that he disliked President Nixon, but he definitely disliked what he was doing. If Felt hadn't told Woodward all of this information, there is a good chance that Nixon's actions never would have been exposed. If that was the case, then Nixon very well could have stayed in office, continuing to do illegal and unconstitutional things.
As for anonymous sources, I would say that they generally are not as trustworthy as a named source. Even if the reporter trusts that anonymous source, there is a good chance that the public won't. It is important to not only rely on anonymous sources, but to have a mix in order to ensure accuracy in the article.
I think Woodward and Bernstein's job might actually have been a bit trickier today, due to all the new security and such that the CIA, FBI, etc. has now. It might be even harder to get as much information from inside the White House now. However, it would have been much easier for them with all the technology we have today. They obviously would have been able to write out their reports much faster and it would have been much easier to contact people and such.
ReplyDeleteAs for Mark Felt, I do not think he is a "hero" but I definitely do not think he is a traitor. He knew of information that was illegal and wrong, and he wanted it to be put to a stop. However, I think he could have made it much easier for Woodward and Bernstein. He only gave them subtle clues, and never really just told them what he knew. If he really wanted the illegal activity to be uncovered, I think he should have been a bit more straightforward.
I think it was really brave that he did what he did, though. He was 2nd in command at the FBI, and he was really putting a lot at stake by giving out all this secret information. By staying an anonymous source, he would not get in trouble for what he revealed. He was probably worried about his job security, what his family and friends would think of him, and how people would value his secrecy and trust if they had found out he was Deep Throat.
I believe anonymous sources can be a great thing, especially in cases like this, where so much is at stake. I think reporters need to be extra careful when dealing with these sources, though. If an anonymous source tells them something, I think there needs to be definite sources to back up this information. It is a lot trickier to trust 100% what anonymous sources say.
Considering technology today, I think that Woodward and Bernstein would have been easier. With the internet it would have been easier for them to locate all the people that were linked with the scandal and been able to interview them more efficiently. Also they would have been able to more easily access the library records. Instead of spending their time looking through hundreds of hand printed library tickets, they would have been able to do a simple search on the computer. Overall, I believe that todays technology would have made the entire process easier for Woodward and Bernstein.
ReplyDeleteI believe that Deep Throat is a hero. I feel this way because he saw activity that was not right in our government and did something about it. Someone who has the courage to step out and do whats right is a hero in my eyes. He was able to recognize the wrong doings of our government and did his best to correct them. Anonymous sources are a little more difficult to trust than other sources. This is because you can never be sure that they are giving 100% accurate information. My suspicion would be that if they are giving me the truth, then why do they need to hide. In conclusion, anonymous sources are reliable, but you always must be on your guard when it comes to trusting them.
I think that if Woodward and Bernstein had the technology we do today, their job would have been easier in the aspect that they could get information quicker, they would be able to contact people easier, and people might have been more willing to talk over the internet or cell phone. However, the documents they used to continue the investigation could have been hidden easier with today's technology also.
ReplyDeleteI think that Deep Throat was more of a hero than a traitor. He did the right thing because if that kind of underhandedness is going on in the government, the people have a right to know so that it can be taken care of. There is no way to look at it where Nixon should have been able to keep going on with all the illegal activity. Mark Felt was right to tell people the truth because it's what people deserve to know about their elected government.
I feel that if this were investigated with the technology we had today, it would without a doubt be much easier. First of all, with so much information being available on the internet, it would be much easier for Woodward and Bernstein to uncover information about the case. The other aspect is that in the movie, the reporters spent numerous hours trying to track down people to use for their sources. This is something that the internet has made so easy, they wouldn't have had to spend so much time tracking down sources, and more time focusing on the actual research and the story.
ReplyDeleteI think that Deep Throat is both a hero and a traitor. He is a hero because he did save our country from something that could harm us, and he was the one who basically revealed what Nixon was doing to the whole country through Woodward and Bernstein. So what he did was heroic to the country. On the other hand, he was an FBI agent, a role that comes with tremendous responsibility-- one of those responsibilities is to be trustworthy and to be confidential with all information. What he did most likely questioned the trustworthiness of all FBI agents. Even though he was doing good to the country by revealing the information, it was also irresponsible to do this in the first place, and also to not reveal his identity for decades.