Reflective Blog Post- All the President’s Men
Section 1: The movie in relation to the textbook The Investigative Reporter’s Handbook
Interestingly, in the movie, viewers never see Woodward and Bernstein sitting down and talking about how to be a journalist. Instead, they are seen acting out the journalism process, and through their story, viewers get a glimpse into what it takes to be a journalist.
For example, viewers never see the reporters actively storyboarding. However, it is evident that they incorporated storyboarding procedures into their reporting. The “Paul Williams Way” storyboarding procedure lists conceiving the investigation, considering its feasibility, and assessing the investigation as important steps in the development of an investigative piece.
The reporters do all of this. The reporters do all of this. Woodward probed when Watergate proceedings seemed odd, and he didn’tt stop asking questions. They discussed the feasibility of the story with their editors and recognized the risks involved. Then, they began gathering sources, doing their research, and staying in constant communication with their editors.
Another interesting aspect of this investigation is the sources behind it. The anonymous source “Deep Throat”, who later came forward as Mark Felt, former assistant director for the FBI, became infamous for his role in the investigation. As a whistleblower unable to fix the corruption coming from the White House, I had always assumed that much of the information supporting the investigation came from him.
However, this is not the case. Deep Throat confirmed information, but rarely gave more than hints. Woodward and Bernstein still had to contact countless other primary sources, including those who worked for the Committee to Reelect the President, others who worked for the President, etc.
Additionally, they found checks originally donated to the Committee to Reelect the President in the Watergate burglars’ accounts and searched for book logs in the Library of Congress. While most of their information relied on primary sources (as much of the investigation was new and few other people were talking about it) the reporters did stay updated on other news circulating about the Watergate break in.
One of the concerns with the reporters’ process during the investigation was the use of anonymous sources. Almost every source that Woodward and Bernstein talked to didn’t want to share information, and when they did, they wanted to remain anonymous. The reluctance of these sources was almost as telling to the reporters as actual information.
However, their editors kept them accountable, especially Ben Bradlee. Even when the use of anonymous sources was necessary, he made sure their reporting used multiple sources to confirm the information. Additionally, he changed Woodward and Bernstein’s writing to avoid sensationalism.
Others within the newsroom helped as well. Sally Aiken, another journalist, was able to find out that Ken Clawson wrote an important letter in the investigation. Additionally, Harry Rosenfeld, the local news editor, helped the reporters brainstorm and develop the story.
When investigating the executive branch, Woodward and Bernstein needed to understand government agencies and the players involved, and they needed to uncover agency budgets. At first, they struggled. Woodward even had to ask who Charles Colson was, and Rosenfeld made him feel pretty stupid for asking. However, the more they researched, the more they invested time into understanding executive branch proceedings.
Section 2: The movie, All the President’s Men
This investigation was historically important because never before had journalists conducted an investigation that led to the resignation of the president of the United States. It also led to the trial and conviction of many men involved in the scandal. Historically, it validates the importance of journalism in keeping government officials accountable and exposing wrongdoing.
It was not easy for Woodward and Bernstein to get to this point, though. The reporters faced many obstacles; sources didn’t want to talk and when they did, they did so anonymously, they received backlash from government agencies, and many of the public seemed to not care.
However, they continued to do their research. They knocked on the doors of potential sources, scoured book logs at the Library of Congress, followed money trails, called sources that could give them information, and met with the infamous source, Deep Throat, for confirmation and leads.
Today, their research might look a little different. While they would still conduct interviews with sources, they would also have the Internet to search government databases and find primary documents.
An example of one of their reports is this article, written for the Post in October 1972. Most of the article uses unnamed sources, but gives titles like “FBI agents”, “law enforcement sources”, or “one federal investigative official”. Also, the only source able to identify that Ken Clawson, former deputy director of White House communications, wrote the Canuck letter is a staff writer for the Post. To readers, this could have seemed suspicious at the time.
However, the insight from attorney Alex B. Shipley, and his information on Segretti, was impactful. His quotes on Segretti began to show just how corrupt the reelection campaign was, and he served as a named source in an investigation full of anonymous sources. Also, the fact that two other lawyers had been asked by Segretti to sabotage the Democratic campaign gives the story even more validity.
The relationship between editor and reporter is another topic that the movie sheds light on. Ben Bradlee, executive editor of the Washington Post during the Watergate investigation, had to keep Woodward and Bernstein accountable and go hard on them, but also trust them to do good reporting.
For example, even when the reporters thought they had enough sources, he told them to find more. However, when he admits that he hates trusting anyone, he still tells them to run the story. He says that he stands behind his reporters, even under public scrutiny and backlash.
Bradlee demonstrated the unique tension that editors live in; they must keep their reporters accountable and fight for the integrity of the paper, but they cannot write every story. Editors have to trust their writers to carry out good, ethical reporting.
From the movie, viewers can also learn just how much time goes into investigative journalism. The outcome of their reporting is profound, but the movie shows that it took years for it to lead to Nixon’s resignation. I had never realized just how long it was before they saw the impact of their work, and I have even more respect for the reporters for their continued diligence despite how long it took.
Additionally, I learned more about Deep Throat’s role in the investigation. In many recounts of the reporters’ investigation, Deep Throat’s role is glorified and overstated. However, many times he was confirming information or giving hints rather than being the driving force behind the investigation.
Even as he became bolder toward the end of the movie, Woodward and Bernstein still confirmed information and sought out other sources. The investigation was not built upon Deep Throat’s account, as I had assumed before watching the movie. This also gave me more faith in the use of anonymous sources. If it’s good reporting, there will be other sources confirming the information.
Other characters that played an important role include Ben Bradlee, Hugh Sloan, and Judy Hoback. Ben Bradlee kept the reporters accountable and ensured their reporting was ethical. Hugh Sloan helped the reporters identify that the money funding the burglary was from the Committee to Reelect the President. Judy Hoback, the bookkeeper for the Committee to Reelect the President, also played an important role in exposing how money was being spent.
After watching the movie, I would want to ask the reporters how they endured it emotionally and mentally. How did they stay focused and motivated when most of the nation didn’t care or were calling them liars? How did they fight through moments of doubt, especially because the investigation lasted so long?
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