▁White ▁House ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 9 , ▁the ▁F BI ▁t apped ▁the ▁ph ones ▁of ▁five ▁rep or ters . ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 1 , ▁the ▁White ▁House ▁requested ▁an ▁aud it ▁of ▁the ▁tax ▁return ▁of ▁the ▁editor ▁of ▁News day , ▁after ▁he ▁wrote ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁articles ▁about ▁the ▁financial ▁deal ings ▁of ▁Charles ▁" B eb e " ▁Reb oz o , ▁a ▁friend ▁of ▁N ixon . ▁ ▁The ▁Administration ▁and ▁its ▁supp or ters ▁accused ▁the ▁media ▁of ▁making ▁" w ild ▁accus ations ", ▁putting ▁too ▁much ▁emphas is ▁on ▁the ▁story , ▁and ▁of ▁having ▁a ▁liberal ▁bias ▁against ▁the ▁Administration . ▁N ixon ▁said ▁in ▁a ▁May ▁ 1 9 7 4 ▁interview ▁with ▁supp orter ▁Bar uch ▁Kor ff ▁that ▁if ▁he ▁had ▁followed ▁the ▁liberal ▁policies ▁that ▁he ▁thought ▁the ▁media ▁preferred , ▁" W ater gate ▁would ▁have ▁been ▁a ▁b lip ." ▁The ▁media ▁noted ▁that ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁reporting ▁turned ▁out ▁to ▁be ▁accurate ; ▁the ▁compet itive ▁nature ▁of ▁the ▁media ▁guaranteed ▁w ides p read ▁coverage ▁of ▁the ▁far - re aching ▁political ▁sc andal . ▁ ▁App lications ▁to ▁journal ism ▁schools ▁reached ▁an ▁all - time ▁high ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 4 . ▁ ▁Sc andal ▁es cal ates ▁R ather ▁than ▁ending ▁with ▁the ▁conv iction ▁and ▁sent encing ▁to ▁prison ▁of ▁the ▁five ▁Water gate ▁burg l ars ▁on ▁January ▁ 3 0 , ▁ 1 9