Final answer:
The Watergate break-in news reached the public through the investigative journalism by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein of The Washington Post, and was later confirmed by court proceedings and congressional investigations.
Step-by-step explanation:
The news of the Watergate break-in primarily reached the public through investigative journalism. Specifically, two reporters for The Washington Post, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, received information from anonymous sources (including one known as 'Deep Throat') implying deep White House involvement in the break-in. Despite the pressing events of the era, these journalists continued to report and publish their findings, thus drawing public attention to the scandal leading all the way up to the highest echelons of power.
Meanwhile, the congress and court proceedings provided official confirmation of the White House's involvement. The House Judiciary Committee voted to pass impeachment articles against Nixon in July 1974, and the U.S. Supreme Court ordered the release of the actual tapes of Nixon's conversations. These tapes further incriminated Nixon by showing he had knowledge of the Watergate break-in shortly after it occurred.
Nevertheless, the investigative efforts of journalists played a pivotal role in unveiling the scandal, while the legal and legislative proceedings that followed affirmed the details and consequences of the scandal.
Learn more about Watergate Scandal