Bernstein and Woodward

     Oz Jensen 

 Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward 

    Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward are the perfect example of why the 4th estate, as well as free speech are such essential parts of a functioning democracy. The journalists exposed illegal activities by an acting president, directly leading to his being the first President in history to step down from power.  

What was Watergate?

        In the morning of June 17, 1972, several burglars were arrested at The Office of National Democratic committee. The next day, it was released that the men who were arrested had connections to Richard Nixon. In the immediate aftermath however, it appeared as though Nixon would get away with it. Even with the scandal, Nixon easily won 1972 reelection, earning a whopping 520 electoral college votes. 

    This all changed very quickly after Woodward and Bernstein released their book, "All the President's men" in which, with the help of a deep government source, referred to as Deep Throat. The two writers exposed the multitude of crimes that Nixon had committed attempting to cover up his culpability in the Watergate attempted burglary. 

    On July 15th their book was published. On July 30th 1974, Nixon was charged with impeachment by the house with charges of high crimes and misdemeanors. On August 9th 1974, Richard Nixon, fully aware he could spend time in jail if he didn't, became the first President to step down for office. 

    "All the President's Men" is often referred to as one of the best, if not THE best, journalistic works of American history. The legacy of the book, and later movie, elevated the two men to become some of the most respected political journalists in the country.

Bob Woodward

         In the aftermath of Watergate, Bob Woodward could have done anything in journalism, he had been one of the two men that broke the biggest story of all time, and he went out to attempt to out do himself.  

    He chose to continue writing 20 books that have become best sellers, won 2 pulitzer awards. I read Woodward's most recent book, "Rage", which was a #1 best seller, in which he incapsulates the incompetence of the administration. Woodward is also currently an associate editor at the Washington Post, the newspaper he and Bernstein worked for during Watergate.  

                                                                       Carl Bernstein

        Carl Bernstein grew up in Washington D.C. in the 1960's, raised by two communist parents. The 1960's were an absolutely closed minded time due to McCarthyism, and the Cold War. This meant that Bernstein and his family had to endure waves of intolerance toward their beliefs. 

    After watergate, Bernstein continued with his muckraking, focusing on government corruption and over-stepping,  clearly possessing a clear passion for it. 

    Bernstein has continued with this role, recently noting that he believes Donald Trump's actions during the pandemic were way worse than anything Nixon ever did. 

Why They Matter

    Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein are the exact representation as journalism as the ideal 4th estate, as their watchdog brand of journalism has helped hold the government in check ever since they proved the power of the truth by almost single handedly bringing down a corrupt presidential administration.