Since the lineage of investigative journalism is most directly traceable to the progressive era of the early 1900's, it is not surprising that the President of the United States at the time was among the first to articulate its political dimensions. Theodore Roosevelt called investigative reporters 'muckrakers,' after a character from John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress who humbly cleaned 'the filth off the floor.' Despite the misgivings implied by the comparison, Roosevelt saw the muckrakers as 'often indispensable to the well-being of society'. (2) There are in the body politic, economic and social, many and grave evils, and there is urgent necessity for the sternest war upon them. There should be relentless exposure of and attack upon every evil man, whether politician or businessman. (3) Roosevelt recognized the value-laden character of investigative journalism. He perceived correctly that investigative reporters are committed to unearthing wrongdoing. For these journalists, disclosures of morally outrageous conduct maximize the opportunity for the forces of 'good' to recognize and do battle with the forces of 'evil'. (4) So, the current folklore surrounding investigative reporting closely resembles the American ideal of popular democracy. Partly a product of its muckraking roots, this idealized perspective is also an outgrowth of the commonly perceived effects of exposes published in the early 1970's. The most celebrated of these exposes were the news stories that linked top White House officials to Watergate crimes. These stories were widely held responsible for the public's loss of confidence in the Nixon administration, ultimately forcing the President's resignation. When the author talks about the political dimensions of the investigative journalism he refers to ______.