Selective Bias in the Collective Memory of News Public Opinion and Reflections on Governance: The Case of Watergate Scandal

Abstract

The Watergate scandal is one of the most disgraceful political scandals in American history, and its impact on the history of the United States itself and on the international press as a whole has been lasting. Indeed, the American press, represented by the Washington Post, played a pioneering role in exposing the Watergate scandal. In this context, media journalists showed a clear bias towards collective memory choices. On the one hand, in the face of strong government pressure, journalists continued to report the facts and to uncover the truth with objectivity, truthfulness and accuracy. On the other hand, as the years passed, the media's understanding of the Watergate scandal updated and changed, and collective memory did not remain unchanged. For contemporary China, the prominence of the press in fulfilling its role as a watchdog over the government leads us to reflect on the ability of the media, journalists and civil servants to carry out their duties.