Ben Bradlee
Ben Bradlee
Benjamin Crowninshield "Ben" Bradleewas executive editor of The Washington Post from 1968 to 1991. He became a national figure during the presidency of Richard Nixon, when he challenged the federal government over the right to publish the Pentagon Papers and oversaw the publication of Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein's stories documenting the Watergate scandal. At his death he held the title of vice president at-large of the Post...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionJournalist
Date of Birth26 August 1921
CityBoston, MA
CountryUnited States of America
I must be out of it, but I don't know any good journalists who have excused Clinton's problems.
The really tough thing would have been to decide to take Woodward and Bernstein off the story. They were carrying the coal for us - in that their stories were right.
Sure, some journalists use anonymous sources just because they're lazy and I think editors ought to insist on more precise identification even if they remain anonymous.
There have been as many investigative reporters on this newspaper working on Clinton's many problems as I can remember there were working on Watergate.
He was a strong leader and dedicated his paper to excellence as well as financial success, and there weren't many of those.
He couldn't really go to his superior, who was L. Patrick Gray, who was busy throwing documents into the Potomac River from the bridge. He couldn't go to the attorney general, who was on his way to jail himself.
I don't think I said it. I know who his source is, and I don't want to get into it. ... I have not told a soul who it is.
The media" is too big a word. I think there are some reporters who have adopted a "gotcha" mentality, but not in the really good newspapers.