In the classic film “All the President's Men,” two Washington Post journalists, Woodward and Bernstein, work to uncover the details of the Watergate Scandal. The film is set before the age of the internet at a time when journalists still used typewriters and most people got their news from the paper. The film offers a behind the scenes look into of journalism at the time as Woodward and Berstein jump through hoops to put their story together.
In the film, journalism is portrayed as a hands-on job requiring charisma, countless interviews and phone calls, and day trips. There is a lot of work that goes into collecting all the facts necessary to produce a reputable story. Even when the pieces of the puzzle begin to fall in place, the big boss refuses to publish the story until the team can “get another source” (All the President's Men). Without multiple sources, the story would fall thin and slip through their fingers.
A big part of the film was the battle for information. Finding people willing to talk, matching up stories, and following leads was the real work of the journalists. It almost made the profession seem like detective work. In the case of the Watergate scandal, I feel like the need for multiple sources was very realistic. With such a bold accusation against the government, the journalists needed to be absolutely positive that they had gotten the facts straight.
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