Mid-term reflection
Every journalist dreams of partaking in a deeply woven investigation, uncovering foul play and suspicious activities within levels of leadership. The result of these investigations, when done accurately, leave a mark on a wide audience of people and sometimes result in real change.
Throughout investigative journalism, one desire anchors every motive– exposing the truth.
Looking back, there are several examples when journalists roll up their sleeves and put in numerous hours of work to uncover and investigate a story, but the work of Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein during the Watergate files enlightens the real struggles and rewards of true investigative work.
Their story, documented in the movie “All the President’s Men,” reveal the in-depth and relentless work of the Washington Post journalists during their uncovering of the Watergate files, digging deeper into the infamous scandal under the Nixon Administration.
Once the story about burglars breaking into the Democratic National Committee offices in the Watergate Hotel, the then young journalists positioned their magnifying glasses to look closer and discover the real reason for the robbery. Both journalists had a hunch and gut feeling to look more into a story that would have a great effect on the public. Just as the Paul Williams Way of investigative reporting, Woodstein (their duo name) started off on a life altering mission to expose corruption and enact accountability from the highest governmental officials in the U.S.
Within their work, there was no lack of secondary and primary sources that validated the work and investigating they conducted. Through the use of police records and committee resources, the team saw underreported actions and misuse of funds within the Nixon campaign to further lead to more uncovered corruption. On top of the documents and data, Woodstein took to the street to confront and ask eyewitnesses about the illegal actions. These primary sources further validated the work they did throughout the entire project.
On top of primary human sources, the role of whistleblowers played a major role in directing Woodstein further people trails. Most notably, “Deep Throat” was a whistleblower the two journalists weighed heavily upon, helping them affirm information and point them to key suspects in the Watergate files. Having people from the inside confirm closed information pushes a story to further validity and accuracy. The role of “Deep Throat” confirmed sources and the people involved within their series of articles.
Due to the sensitivity of the subject, both Woodward and Bernstein new their research had to be thorough and accurate. As they looked into the movements and instructions given from Nixon administration officials, the duo followed a line of potential sources that later revealed corruption in the system. Using the list of campaign committee volunteers proved to be a lead for Woodstein, which helped them pin down names and draw lines between their notes.
The work done by the Washington Post duo stood as a hallmark for investigation journalism, revealing the influence solid reporting can have in the justice system. The incident that the Watergate Files covered revealed deep-rooted corruption within the executive office. This mark of investigative work showed how effective journalism can be and the need for reliable reporting in tested waters.
As Woodstein and others on the investigative team reported on the Watergate files they dealed with an array of trials. Most notable they faced sources going back on what they had said in crucial moments of opposition. Additionally, they faced backlash as inaccurate reporters, dead ends with sources and the reluctancy of people to talk with them. However, Woodstein remained determined and followed their trails closely in hopes to break leads and ethically pull out information from sources.
In one of Woodstein’s articles “GOP security aide among five arrested in bugging affair,” they used quotes from the former GOP national chairman, showing the comments and remarks he made as James McCord was named as one of the five men arrested.
Because of the intensity of the story, the editor at the Washington Post had to be willing to put his neck out on the line for the sake of the story being reported. Through a series of meetings and evaluations, the editor made the final call on whether the stories would go out in the morning paper. The relationship between Woodstein and their editor had to be rooted in trust, aligning their goals together to provide trustworthy news.
Along with the editor, three other men worked alongside Woodstein to help provide information and vet the information gathered by the young duo. All together the team published a series of articles covering the scandal and every connection to the corruption.
One question for the famous journalism duo would be how they knew journalism was the field for them, pursuing the truth through intense investigation. Woodstein remains as one of the clearest examples of the power of the press and the influence effective reporting has on democracy.