Bob Woodward Interview: The Power of Persistence in Journalism
Reporter Bob Woodward recalls how his time in Vietnam got him into journalism, his initial bonding with Ben Bradlee over their time in the Navy, and on “finding the line” when deciding to run a story. He discusses the legacy of Watergate and the lesson for journalism “to keep going after the story.” Woodward describes Bradlee’s belief in truth and how he was “the master of curiosity.”
Robert Upshur Woodward is an investigative journalist who was born in Geneva, Illinois on March 26, 1943. He enrolled in Yale University in 1961 with an NROTC scholarship, and studied history and English literature. He received his B.A. degree in 1965, and began a five-year tour of duty in the U.S. Navy. After being discharged as a lieutenant Woodward spent a year working at the Montgomery Sentinel, a weekly in the Washington D.C. suburbs, and was hired as a reporter for The Washington Post in September 1971. In 1972, he teamed up with journalist Carl Bernstein and the two did much of the original news reporting on the Watergate scandal which led to numerous government investigations and the eventual resignation of President Richard Nixon. Woodward’s first book with Bernstein about their reporting of Watergate, All the President’s Men, became a #1 national bestseller before Nixon resigned in 1974. The 1976 movie version of All the President’s Men became an instant classic with Robert Redford starring as Woodward and Dustin Hoffman as Bernstein. Woodward continued to work at the Post for more than 50 years where he became associate editor. He went on to cover nine U.S. presidents, write over 20 best-selling books, share in two Pulitzer Prizes and has been a recipient of nearly every major American journalism award, including the Heywood Broun award (1972), Worth Bingham Prize for Investigative Reporting (1972 and 1986), Sigma Delta Chi Award (1973), George Polk Award (1972), William Allen White Medal (2000), and the Gerald R. Ford Prize for Reporting on the Presidency (2002).
From the HBO / Kunhardt Film Foundation (KFF) Documentary “The Newspaperman: The Life and Times of Ben Bradlee,” about one of America's most influential and celebrated newspaper editors, who found himself at the center of many of the 20th Century's most seismic storms, including: World War II, John F. Kennedy, Watergate and the fall of Richard Nixon.
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Bob Woodward, Associate Editor, The Washington Post
Interviewed By: John Maggio
Interview Date: February 3, 2017
Chapters:
00:00 Intro
00:09 Getting into journalism
01:50 Initial interest in The Washington Post
02:56 Wanting to work at The Washington Post
03:43 Interviewing with Ben Bradlee
06:13 Ben Bradlee’s time in the navy
08:25 Early days at the Post
11:21 Ben Bradlee’s management style
12:54 Ben Bradlee’s patriotism
15:19 The media and national security
18:18 Ben Bradlee’s friendship with JFK
21:12 Managing conflicts of interest
23:37 Ben Bradlee as an outsider
24:42 Ben Bradlee and Katharine Graham
29:56 Ben Bradlee and his quest for the truth
30:47 Ben Bradlee and the Pentagon Papers
32:05 The Pentagon Papers and the Post
34:40 Spotting a good story
39:49 Ben Bradlee’s skepticism
40:42 The Watergate break-in
43:34 Uncovering the Watergate scandal
47:24 Recruiting Mark Felt
49:56 Breaking the Watergate story
53:35 Anxiety around Watergate
54:13 Continuing the Watergate story
57:09 Following the money
59:06 Unraveling the Watergate web
01:01:20 Attacks on the Post during Watergate
01:04:21 Protecting anonymous sources
01:09:18 Felt’s warning to Woodward and Bernstein
01:12:18 Paranoia surrounding Watergate
01:13:25 The Haldeman mistakes
01:18:21 The turning point in the Watergate scandal
01:24:50 The Nixon White House tapes
01:26:38 Nixon’s resignation
01:29:12 Nixon’s impeachment
01:31:01 Nixon’s lust for power
01:33:52 Watergate and Ben Bradlee’s lasting legacy
01:34:45 Attempting to talk to Nixon
01:35:25 All the President’s Men
01:38:56 The spotlight on the Post
01:43:01 Ben Bradlee’s sense of story
01:45:22 Knowing a good story when you see it
01:46:30 The impact of All the President’s Men on the Post
01:48:16 Ben Bradlee’s persona
01:49:20 The difficulties of being an editor
01:50:14 Lessons from the Janet Cooke scandal
01:56:42 Ben Bradlee and the Janet Cooke scandal
01:57:17 The aftermath of Janet Cooke’s story
01:58:26 Loyalty to the Post
02:00:41 Ben Bradlee’s ability to forgive
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What a create interview with Bob Woodward. Very wise and down-to-earth!
“What the fuck are you doing?!” Lol. I could watch that part all day.
UNFORTUNATELY, there are very few people left in this country who have the intellect, morals, and common sense to care and understand the words of Bob Woodward.
Mr. Woodward is so interesting. I could listen to him for hours
Bob Woodward is right up there with Edward R. Murrow and "Murrow's Boys", the "Cream of the Crop" in broadcast journalism. Thank you Bob!
One of the Last Great Guardians of the Republic
Hope he is not the last, but just one of the great guardians of the truth.
Thank you for posting this informative, entertaining video. I'm so impressed with Bob Woodward his journalism and with him as a man of great integrity. Thank God for him, all journalist should be as concerned as conscientious as he. Thank you Bob Woodward for clean honest reporting. God bless you and your wife and your family.
Brilliant. Captivating. But Honest.👏👏👏
He is good. Both a good journalist and a storyteller.
And don't forget a navy officer who used to work at the Pentagon and has access to it's most classified areas before he joined the WaPo.
@@markgarrett3647*its
@@January. Oh well thanks grammar Azov 👍
This man is an amazingly flawed human being. .I could listen to him for hours, thank you for everything you do to shine the light in the darkness
Courage and Truth! Such important values to have when you are the transmitter of important information. Thanks to Bob Woodward and all the real media people that don't shy away from the dangers and challenges or get bought off. I am so appreciative there are people I can trust.
LOL, ask Gary Webb what happens when you are a REAL whistle blower.
The 2 takeaways from me : 1) one characteristic that rarely is seen this day, self-awareness ( Bob is quite humble about his shortcomings in recognizing his mistakes, his lack of understanding certain parts of the profession in his early years. 2) We are living in fast moving, where the best things that happened to humanity (tech and internet) may be the start of its own demise. Even with good investigative reporting being alive and well how do we respond to it. Do we have public servants in powerful offices who are upstanding and responsible enough to show respect to the people they serve? ! What we see these days is defiance and doubling-down regardless how damning the story is !!!
Wow. What an amazing interview. I was a tiny kid when Watergate happened but I remember it, and I remember Nixons resignation. I of course didn't understand it, so this interview is so illuminating. What a journalist.
Destroyer Escort Pacific 73-6. Knew "0" till Cable TV let me on yrs later
He should also tell us about his juicy experiences at Pentagon and the White House as a naval officer.
I hope there are still investigative journalists out there who care as much about uncovering the truth and are as passionate about the critical importance of a free press as Bob Woodward is. He should be coaching young journalists, teaching his particular brand of in depth journalism. The pace and the current climate puts pressure on journalists and that often diminishes the finished product and that’s a real shame, a disservice to the public and must be unfulfilling to journalists who wish they we’re under that kind of pressure and want to be allowed to reach.
Even though we hear trump say things to this journalist about crimes he committed they still cant find proof to indict him
He wasn't a journalist, he was a CIA plant.
Very interesting and wise man..
A pro! Decent, intelligent, and good at his job.
And a former Navy officer working at the Pentagon and has classified access to a lot of its areas.
When a nation is in peril, is in crisis, it takes a common citizen to shout (at the president) to make him listen! Thank You Bob Woodward, for listening and putting it in words on paper! Documentation, truth in being there! Thank you! We are all shouting to lock Trump up, but, I'll be kinder: send him to a monastery and let them shave his beloved hair, make him vow to silence and make him pray! Yep, I'm that cruel!
Nixon didn’t get it. He was saying he wouldn’t hate those who hounded him from office.
Thank You Carl just for being you!
Useful.....
So as Jack Nicholson said in a few good men. "You couldn't handle the truth."
All I can say is you'd better be persistent, journalists. And not for fame.
His admission at 1:50 of moral failing to protect a child does not exonerate him. Nothing excuses this.
I'm a veitnam vet.. l enjoyed the war
You did? Wow...that's messed up Johnny.
Where were you stationed ? What was your rank ?
Working in a Base Exchange?
Mr Woodward is an amazing person and his historic insights are brilliant. unfortunately, those blend-ins disrupt the flow of listening unpleasantly 👎
I don’t know if it’s a disability but I can only listen to him for 10 minutes at a time…. I can’t stand listening to his tone or type of speaking.
I can’t get enough. He’s a living legend; perhaps one of the most trusted voices on the planet. Front seat to political history. A national treasure.
@@tootsla1252 no doubt his credentials put him in a league of his own… but did he always speak like this? I’ve never heard anyone speak the way he does. Not gonna lie I literally listened to the entire trump tapes all 11hrs of it in one day . Crazy how the world survived trump for 4 years. The guy is a lunatic
@@Mr---mr4ll We are totally in agreement about Trump. It is astounding that he still has the R party by the balls. Unbelievable!
@@tootsla1252 That’s what it is, trump thought he had ‘em by the balls, because they’re all in on the corrupt Jim Crow tactics! Now, it’s biting them all in the butt! It’s too bad all the noise of the disinformation has muddied the waters throughout this time! We must hold them all accountable and not just slap on the wrists. We the people must stand United, make our voices heard, by rebuking the corrupt politicians and the corrupt tactics they have been practicing, Enough is enough! The ‘purging /removing-of Mail-in Ballots’ in Red states, the Georgia’s 11,870, Trump’s infamous telephone call, which has led & been under investigation. Well, those happened to be ‘Mail in ballots that were actually removed/purged’ by the Georgia GQP) from the counted’ Final tally in the elections!!! Trumps infamous telephone call with both Georgia Officials, Trump was trying to get them to find the 11,870 Votes, everybody thought he was inventing things! Well, come to find out, those 11,870 Georgia votes were actually ‘purged/removed Mail-in Ballots’ Then, Trump went on to the other Red States, also trying to reclaim ‘purged/Mail-in Ballots’ which were also purged/removed, but the GQP knew, that if they were to bring these purged/removed mail in ballots out, their secret would be the end of them! You know what’s even just as disturbing, as all of this,……. Is that all of the belligerent lies that Trump has continued to tell, and still is at it, falsely pointing blame, he has been Reversing the roles of his doing’s, being the Offender with the Victims being the Democrats/Biden! Plus, between him, Fox Network, and the corrupt GQP, also guilty of reversing the roles of the real offender, Trump, thus, blaming the Democrats/Biden, the real victim’s, thus, poisoning the minds of the people not only in America- but people throughout the world!!! My next concern, Also, now knowing that Fox network had full knowledge of Trump being full of shit, but that they had made the decision, (a huge mistake to continue) show after show, knowing full well that they were broadcasting Trump’s lies, all in vain, because they were worried about their ratings, losing their viewers to newsmax. How despicable, Didn’t it ever occur to Fox network, that their moral failure, and gross negligence, that despite that they all knew the truth, but they didn’t care, making such an immoral decision for their ratings, ‘brand’ was more important. But, didn’t they realize the consequences of the irreparable harm done throughout the world! I certainly hope that Fox network is sued and forced to be taken off the air! We don’t need a network that lies to u, nor do we need Trump running for President! He’s obviously a complete failure and definitely cannot be trusted! Murdoch and his moderators are all guilty of promoting and peddling the lies, despite they knew the truth, they failed to realize the irresponsible harm they would cause our democracy, or that the gullible viewers who would believe the lies! The division and hate driven by the extremists, divided the American people, and throughout the world, all because Fox Network promoted and peddled Trump’s lies! I am willing to bet, there’s a silent third party who’s wanted nothing more, than for America to be destroyed from within, our adversary, Putin. Shame on Fox News! I’ve never been a fan of Fox News, thank God! However, I’m thinking back to the 2016, election, in regard to my Facebook page, there were about 7 people who were friends on my Facebook account, I had thought they were my friends and family, decent people, knowledgeable, I thought. They kept blowing up my page with their trump, trump, rhetoric, telling me to stop drinking the koolaid, etc., etc., Finally, I blocked all of them, including my aunt! Yea, it hurt me, but, I knew deep inside, Trump was a narcissistic liar, bully, masogynistic, sexist’s, rapists, con artist, and definitely not who he claimed to be, Oh, and based on just the lies we knew then have been spot on! Lastly, How is America going to first of all, acknowledge and accept this revelation? Especially all these trump supporters And, How is America going to recover and heal from this God awful complex corruption, it’s way worst than watergate! As, I mentioned above, I’m willing to bet that our biggest adverse enemy, has everything to do with this all along! Russias stated, that they will destroy America from within. If this isn’t destroying America from within, I don’t know what is! Brace yourselves Dems, God help us!
@@tootsla1252 He has always been an intel op. first.
Do you think he was a journalists? Once an intel op, always an intel op.
He's a pompous maroon who only understands the truth as he sees it through his particular lens. That's failing enough in any one person, but he's in the unique position to try to peddle that "truth" as fact. He may think of himself as some guardian of Democracy, but the interests he serves are one fraction or another of the elite's. The highlight of his life was the Watergate scandal, and he's spent the remainder of his lifetime trying to recapture that brief glory. Like most old men of his generation, it's time for him to go. People in their eighties have no business taking active roles in the lives of others. They should be retired at 70---Whatever their profession---PERIOD!
You mean like Biden!
@@sandrabarney285 EXACTLY! Sorry to say, it's time for the Donald to go as well. If he really wants to be remembered by history, he should barnstorm the country trying to convince voters to impose term limits on politicians. Five terms for congressmen, and three for senators, is more than fair. It's going to take a constitutional amendment to get it done, however. Politicians will never approve term limits themselves. We could unofficially call it the "Trump Amendment," and I swear if it actually becomes law, they'll be naming high schools for Trump... Lol. As for 2024, the Republicans should run DeSantis or Haley, and the Dems should run ANYONE but Biden!
@@sandrabarney285 only fools don't accept him. For his work. HE TAPED YOUR 🍊🤡. 🍊🤡; "LIES LIES WITCH HUNT".
Age discrimination, a violation of civil rights law. Woodward and Biden are sharper than you and MAGAS are! Native Americans and all aboriginal societies respect elders as mentors and carriers of the culture. Your rant ranks with racism! And shows you blew off your free public education. Therefore no ability to think critically.
@@sandrabarney285 Do you have educated frontal lobes?
POWWER $$$$$ Psycho Path Monsters unsolvable pro Blem
What does this mean? You can't spell either. Are you educated?
@@johnrider4649 he's writing in fluent Zoomerspeak.