Carl Bernstein Interview: On Ben Bradlee & The Legendary Newsroom

Reporter Carl Bernstein describes the draw of the newsroom, the importance of finding “the best obtainable version of the truth” in journalism, and why Ben Bradlee was the perfect extension of that ethic, ethos and belief. Bernstein discusses his working relationship with Bob Woodward starting off contentious, but how they quickly developed enormous respect for the abilities of the other as the Watergate story unfolded. Carl Milton Bernstein is an investigative journalist who was born in Washington, DC on February 14, 1944. He began his journalism career at age 16 as a copy boy for the Washington Star, becoming a reporter at 19. In 1972 he teamed up with journalist Bob Woodward at The Washington Post 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. Bernstein’s first book with Woodward 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. He went on to author several best-selling books, including The Final Days (1976), about the denouement of the Nixon presidency (also co-authored by Woodward), a memoir of his family’s experience in the McCarthy era, entitled Loyalties: A Son’s Memoir (1989); he was the co-author of the definitive papal biography, His Holiness: John Paul II and the History of Our Time (1996), which detailed the Pope’s pivotal and often clandestine role in the fall of communism. He also authored the national bestseller, A Woman In Charge: The Life of Hillary Rodham Clinton (2007). In addition, Bernstein is an on-air political analyst for CNN and a contributing editor of Vanity Fair magazine. 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. Subscribe for access to interviews, series, films, and educational materials that address issues of social justice, history, politics, the arts, and culture by spotlighting relatable human stories of purpose and meaning. Learn about our work and how to support our mission here: https://www.lifestories.org/. For extended versions of these interviews and more, visit: @lifestoriesinterviewarchive Follow us on Instagram: Instagram: lifestoriesdotorg Carl Bernstein, Journalist, The Washington Post Interviewed By: John Maggio Interview Date: February 15, 2017 Chapters 00:00 Intro 00:11 Getting into journalism 01:04 The newsroom 01:57 The Washington Star 05:29 Uncovering the truth 06:32 Starting at The Washington Post 07:25 Ben Bradlee’s appointment to the Post 08:02 First impressions of Ben Bradlee 14:26 Ben Bradlee’s intimidating presence 15:40 Ben Bradlee’s persona 19:29 Ben Bradlee’s friendship with JFK 21:51 Ben Bradlee’s intuition 22:58 The Post newsroom 28:26 The Vietnam anti-war movement 33:34 Ben Bradlee and the New Left 36:16 The Post’s coverage of the race riots 40:14 The bond between Ben Bradlee and JFK 42:12 Maintaining a professional distance from sources 44:50 Ben Bradlee at Newsweek 47:33 Establishing a relationship with sources 51:52 Trusting your gut 53:20 JFK’s personal life 54:49 Ben Bradlee transforming the Post 01:00:26 The Pentagon Papers 01:04:36 The Watergate break-in 01:07:23 First impressions of Bob Woodward 01:14:58 Uncovering the Watergate scandal 01:27:26 Attacks on the press during Watergate 01:31:32 Ben Bradlee backing the Watergate story 01:40:36 All the President’s Men 01:42:23 Watergate and Nixon’s downfall 01:46:34 Watergate’s lasting impact 01:50:45 Leaving the Post 01:51:27 President Nixon 01:57:29 Ben Bradlee’s legacy 02:03:17 Luck © Home Box Office and Kunhardt Film Foundation. All Rights Reserved. #CarlBernsteinInterview #kunhardtfilmfoundation