I respectfully disagree on this part.. . You get the 1990s to late 2010s partisan split over whether or not to trust journalists going earlier and faster . .
I remember reading about a movement conservative who said, “I was never really in favor of Nixon until Watergate.” And even though this is just one person and one data point, it struck me as true to life regarding human nature. On that, each of us might have a somewhat different viewpoint.
Plus, I really think a lot of conservatives wanted to “pay back” for Watergate.