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What Watergate teaches us
09/06/2005 08:37 - (SA)
"Watergate" is shorthand for the story of the previous century, when journalists Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein redefined the essence of investigative reporting, resulting in the resignation of US president Richard Nixon.
For those who became a blimp on life's radar screen post-Watergate*, this story set the standard for investigative stories, not only showing the power of the press, but also the principles of solid investigative journalism.
With the identity of Deep Throat - FBI hot shot Mark Felt - known after some three decades, another chapter can be written in this watershed journalistic story.
Some journalistic principles were highlighted again, and journalists and the public alike should take notice of them.
Not in a particular order, they are:
Freedom of expression, as the foundation of a democracy. Without media freedom, The Washington Post could not dig into the story. It is an important director again for us, especially with the surprise pre-publication gagging order of a newspaper the week before last. A free media IS the prerequisite for a democracy. Full stop. (And, interestingly enough, our latest top-story is called Oilgate, after Watergate. And: who remembers Muldergate?!)
Cultivation of sources. You won't get earth shattering information from the minister's or premier's or whoever's PR people. Nope. You need to build your sources so that they can trust you. And you can trust them. Woodward wrote about his extraordinary relationship with Felt in a piece published last week in The Washington Post, after the story about Deep Throat's identity broke. (See www.washingtonpost.com for the full story - also an example of solid journalistic writing.)
Verification of information. Post editor Ben Bradlee, in his autobiography, emphasised the importance of verification. Woodward and Bernstein had a free rein, but they had an undertaking with their editor that they would not publish anything without verifying it with different sources. Without that principle in place, an editor can find her - or himself more in court than in the editor's chair. One cannot publish information as facts without it being verified - and from various different sources. "Check, check and double check" is one of those mantras that should ring in the ears of all journalism school alumni as they sit in their newsrooms trying to untangle fact from fiction. As also: "when in doubt, leave out".
Tenacity. Staying on the story. One of the complaints about today's journalism is that so many stories are not followed up. It is not good enough to publish the first findings around a story. You need to visit and revisit the story until it has come to a satisfying conclusion. And if it gets difficult to stay on the story, you should know there is a reason why. Woodward and Bernstein stayed on their story. And it toppled the president of the mightiest country of the world.
Professionalism. The two reporters, their immediate supervisors and their editor were all professional news workers. They knew they had to do everything right to eventually get to their Golden Fleece-story. But journalists should not only be professional in the "big" stories. Also - especially - in the small ones. And yes, sometimes, under pressure of that terrible omnipresent force called the deadline, we don't get it right. But then we have another chance within 24 hours to once again get our professional act together.
Lastly, respect. Without respect we would be lost in the quagmire of an unprincipled, anything-goes-world. Woodward and Bernstein respected their source. To such an extent that not even their editor knew what his identity was. The identity of Felt became known through his family. Which means that Woodward and Bernstein were scooped on their own story. But that is to their credit.
*Read the book All the President's Men by Woodward and Bernstein, to get the basics on the Watergate scandal. Or hire the movie.
Lizette Rabe is head of the postgraduate Department of Journalism at the University of Stellenbosch, a Sanef council member and Sanef-convenor for the Western Cape. And she's addicted to news.
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