Woodward & Bernstein’s dogged reporting and All the President’s Men etched “the cover-up is worse than the crime” into public memory

THUNDER BAY — United States President Richard Nixon remains the only U.S. president to resign, stepping down on August 9, 1974, as the Watergate scandal closed in.

While Nixon rebuilt parts of his reputation in foreign policy, the DNC break-in and—more decisively—the cover-up continue to define his presidency. The enduring takeaway for public life is simple: the cover-up can eclipse the crime.

The Reporting That Cracked Watergate

What began as a political burglary became a constitutional crisis once The Washington Post’s Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein traced money, sources, and denials into the heart of Nixon’s re-election machinery. Their relentless beat work—late-night calls, door-knocks, document dives—helped unravel the cover-up and mobilized Congress, prosecutors, and the courts. The Post’s Watergate coverage earned a 1973 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service. Their confidential source, later revealed as W. Mark Felt (“Deep Throat”), provided crucial confirmations but did not act alone; the wider investigative ecosystem mattered.

How a Movie Cemented the Legacy

Released in 1976, Alan J. Pakula’s All the President’s Men—with Robert Redford as Woodward and Dustin Hoffman as Bernstein—turned meticulous reporting into a tense newsroom thriller. The film shaped how generations picture investigative journalism: phones, files, editors, and verification over spectacle. It also popularized the mantra “follow the money”—a phrase made famous by the movie, not found in the original reporting or book—showing cinema’s power to define public memory. The film’s success helped lock Watergate into Nixon’s legacy far beyond the Beltway.

Why the Cover-Up Still Overshadows the Crime

From hush money and obstructing justice to misusing federal agencies and stonewalling investigators, Watergate’s gravest damage came from abuse of power and deception.

The tapes fight and the Supreme Court-ordered release of recordings shattered Nixon’s political support—as the nation watched a presidency buckle under the weight of its own concealment. National Archives

What can Political Leaders Can Take From Watergate Today?

For Presidents, Prime Ministers, Mayors, municipal leaders, boards, and agencies across the globe, in the United States, in Canada and here in Northwestern Ontario, Watergate functions as a practical checklist:

• Transparency first. Disclose early; don’t manage a narrative—show your receipts.

• Keep the record. Accurate minutes, emails, and procurement files protect both officials and the public.

• Welcome scrutiny. Integrity commissioners, auditors, and access-to-information processes build trust only when embraced.

• Fix in daylight. Mistakes become scandals when leaders circle the wagons instead of correcting course.

Key Dates

• June 17, 1972: Break-in at the DNC’s Watergate offices.

• July 1974: Supreme Court orders release of White House tapes.

• August 8–9, 1974: Nixon announces, then tenders, his resignation.