PRESIDENT’S AWARD for impact on media

The Men Who Rede fned Investigative Journal ism Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein Receive Press Club’s President’s Award on 40th Anniversary of Teir Watergate Reporting

BY ANNA SCOTT MERICAN JOURNALISM hit a the most famous reporters in America started four major landmark this year: the 40th decades ago this month with a mysterious break-in anniversary of Bob Woodward and at the Democratic Party headquarters in Washing- Carl Bernstein’s pioneering reporting ton, D.C.’s Watergate office complex by five bur- on the Watergate scandal. glars dressed in business suits. Starting from that Woodward and Bernstein’s articles for Te Wash- one bizarre event, Woodward and Bernstein fol- ingtonA Post traced the biggest American political lowed a trail of clues that reached ever higher. Even- scandal to date, culminating in President Richard tually, the trail unveiled a wide-ranging conspiracy Nixon’s resignation in 1974. Four decades later, of political sabotage aimed at undermining the elec- the series still stands as a bellwether of investigative toral process. Te revelations led to the indictments journalism. of 40 White House and administration officials and A rare mix of factors allowed Woodward and the creation of a special prosecutor to curb execu- Bernstein to crack the story, they told CBS’s Char- tive branch power. Watergate also exposed a dark lie Rose during a live event earlier this month. side of American politics that was previously little “We just look seen. Ultimately, at the world a President Richard little differently,” Public trust in the Nixon resigned on Woodward said of federal government Aug 9, 1974. his and Bernstein’s Along the way, complementary has never been Woodward and reporting styles. the same since. To Bernstein became “Tere was a sense this day, the media household names of loving report- synonymous with ing. We were both still tacks on the investigative jour- unmarried, we sufx “gate” when nalism. Public trust were young … in the federal gov- and we had the referring to major ernment has never running room political scandals. been the same since. from the editors.” To this day, the To mark the 40 th anniversary, the Los Angeles media still tacks on the suffix “gate” when referring Press Club is honoring Woodward and Bernstein to major political scandals. with the 2012 President’s Award. Journalism was also permanently changed. Te scandal that made Woodward and Bernstein Woodward and Bernstein have been credited with

LA 24 PC The Men Who Rede fned Investigative Journal ism “What Carl and Bob did was begin to cover the White House, as I like to describe it, from the outside in and not from the inside out.” — Tom Brokaw, NBC News

inspiring generations of come out?’” Woodward reporters, the formation recalled. “And I said that of entire investigative Carl and I felt, because teams at newspapers, it was so concealed, it and increased media looked like never. And scrutiny of the White I remember she in a very House. pained way, said ‘Never? “What Carl and Bob Don’t tell me never.’” did was begin to cover Te support of Gra- the White House, as I ham, the paper’s top like to describe it, from boss, was key to follow- the outside in and not ing the story to its con- from the inside out,” clusion, Woodward said. television journalist As for the day-to-day Tom Brokaw of NBC As young men, Woodward and Bernstein covered the White reporting of the Water- House for The Washington Post. News said in a video gate scandal, Bernstein posted earlier this month on Te Washington Post told the Post this month, they approached it like website to commemorate the anniversary. “And the “local reporters” they were. that’s the most important way of covering not just It was, he said, a “non-glamorous” investigation the White House but the institution of a presi- and a “shoe leather endeavor.” dency.” Woodward and Bernstein’s work on the stories Te story of Watergate has become such a well- earned Te Washington Post the Pulitzer Prize in known chapter in American history, it’s easy to 1973. Teir collaboration also expanded into two forget that Woodward and Bernstein’s reporting best-selling books, All the President’s Men and Te unfolded painstakingly over two years, as they dog- Final Days. Te hit 1976 movie version of All the gedly hunted clue after clue. When they began President’s Men starred Robert Redford as Wood- working on the story, they had no idea where it ward and Dustin Hoffman as Bernstein, and won would lead. Tey even questioned whether they several Academy Awards. would ever figure out what it all added up to. Te story of Watergate continues to live on. In the online Post tribute, Woodward recounted In 2005, the news media was abuzz when Vanity a lunch he had during the Watergate days with the Fair magazine identified Woodward and Bern- Post’s then publisher, the late Katharine Graham. stein’s famed anonymous source, “Deep Troat,” “She asked, ‘when is the whole story going to as former FBI official Mark Felt. Felt’s mythic

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status continues (most certainly aided by every major American journalism award Hal Holbrook’s ominous portrayal of Deep during his career, and has authored or co- Troat in the film), even though Wood- authored twelve #1 national bestsellers. His ward and Bernstein told Rose during this books include Bush at War, Plan of Attack month’s event that Felt was not as key as and Obama’s Wars. Te television program other sources. Judy Hoback, the book- “60 Minutes” has produced segments on keeper for Nixon’s re-election campaign, seven of Woodward’s books, and three of his was much more integral to their reporting, books have been turned into movies. they said. Bernstein, who started working for Te “Te real turning point in the coverage of Washington Post as a teenager, has written Watergate was when Carl found the book- for numerous publications in the years since keeper,” Woodward said. “Te bookkeeper Watergate. After leaving the Post in 1977, he Dustin Hofman and Robert Redford portrayed Bernstein and Woodward, top, in the flm All the had the details of the money and who con- spent six months examining the relationship President’s Men, below. trolled it and who got the money.” between the CIA and the press during the Bernstein added, “More than anything, Cold War years, resulting in a 25,000-word [Felt] did contribute key details, but really cover story for Rolling Stone magazine. Since what he did is he gave us this assurance that then, his work has also appeared in Van- we knew we were right … it eliminated a lot ity Fair (for which he is also a contribut- of doubt that we might have had.” ing editor), Time, USA Today and Te New For all its historic significance, Water- Republic. He has served as a Washington gate was only the beginning of Woodward Bureau Chief and correspondent for ABC and Bernstein’s careers. Woodward, who News, and is the author of several books. graduated from Yale University in 1965 and His works include the biography A Woman started his career at the Montgomery County in Charge: Te Life of Hillary Rodham Clin- (Maryland) Sentinel, remains at Te Wash- ton and Loyalties, a memoir about his par- ington Post to this day. He has won nearly ents during McCarthy-era Washington.

Southern California Gas Company salutes the Los Angeles Press Club on its 54th Annual Southern California Journalism Awards Gala. Congratulations to all the Journalism Award recipients: Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein.

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