All the President’ Men Study Guide Journalism Principles and Practices

About the Film The midterm may contain an essay question about the film All the President’s Men.. While this film is more than two decades old, it illustrates many continuing issues in media ethics and is still, in my opinion, the best film ever made about journalistic decision- making. Screenwriter William Goldman spent a great deal of time at the Washington Post, and shadowed Woodward and Bernstein for months to pick up on their practices, their mannerisms, and how they fit into the corporate culture of journalism.

Things to Watch For… Take notes about the film and the following issues: ● The threat posed by the U.S. government. Were the reporters and editors afraid? What did they have to be afraid of? Was it right that they should have been afraid? ● The glamour afforded to the business of investigative reporting by the case and by the film. The film, by the way, is true to life in almost every aspect of the case. Think about why this film prompted journalism school enrollments to double. If it inspires you, what is the reason? Is it the right reason? ● How the Post reporters went about verifying information. What system did they use? Did it always work? Was it a good system? Do you think it was too tight or too loose?

More Things to Watch For… ● The Post reporters were always clear about identifying themselves as reporters. But sometimes they used coercive techniques. Note the techniques they used, and be able to identify three such situations and be able to discuss whether you think their tactics were right or wrong. ● Most important: Did the ends justify the means in this case? A lot of people were hurt in the process of the investigation; they lost their jobs or were publicly humiliated. Be able to analyze a couple such cases from Kant’s, Bentham’s, and Aristotle’s point of view. Think, too, about the role of national security in all this. ● Be sure you are conversant with the names of the major figures in the Watergate affair.