Carl Bernstein

The Survival And Independence Of News Media Under Threat In Age Of Donald Trump

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America is in a crisis, with the attack on the news media by Donald Trump.

Unfortunately one third to 45 percent of the American people believe that the news media are promoting “fake news’.

They would rather believe Donald Trump, or Fox News Channel, or Talk Radio, and many of these people see the rest of the media to be the enemy, rather than their role of exposing evil.

Without a thriving media, corruption and scandal would run totally rampant.

America is blessed with journalists who often are threatened by mob mentality at Trump rallies.

These journalists are committed to pursuit of the truth, and many news media sources are failing to make a profit, and are closing up, causing the mass loss of brilliant young journalists.

The fact that the media industry is a business which needs to make a profit does not take away from their sacrifices in trying to learn the truth.

Richard Nixon and the Watergate Scandal would never have been exposed if not for two young cub reporters, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein of the Washington Post from 1972 through 1974.

Today, in the time of danger that Donald Trump represents, it is the Washington Post again, along with the New York Times, which is promoting the survival of constitutional government.

Donald Trump’s Attack On Bob Woodward, The Master Journalist With 45 Years Of Excellence, Falls Flat

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Donald Trump’s attack on journalist Bob Woodward, famous from Richard Nixon and the Watergate Scandal, and author of 18 best selling books over four and a half decades, falls flat.

Trump has been exposed for who he is, not only by Woodward, but also by the “Anonymous” op-ed in the New York Times; by Omarora Manigault Newman’s book; by the Michael Cohen guilty plea; the agreement of Trump Organization Treasurer Allen Weisselberg to cooperate; and now, most recently, by the Paul Manafort guilty plea.

The evidence of how dangerous and unhinged Trump is, plus his criminal activity of Russian collusion, obstruction of justice, abuse of power, and violation of the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution, is magnifying, and when, as seems likely, the Democratic Party gains control of at least the House of Representatives in November, clearly shown in all public opinion polls, action will be swift toward impeachment and potential resignation of the President.

Trump is flailing at his “enemies”, but the nation has become clearly disillusioned with Trump, and particularly so with women, minorities, the young, and suburban educated people.

Bob Woodward is one of the greatest journalists and authors of modern times, and his new book will stand the test of time and veracity, without any question.

Woodward helped by his journalism, along with Carl Bernstein, to bring down Richard Nixon, four and a half decades ago, and now Woodward, along with others, will help bring Donald Trump down, and accountable to the justice system.

Good Fortune That Many Watergate Scandal Journalists And Investigators Are Still Alive And Able To Assist With Insight Into Trump Scandals

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It has been 45 years since the Watergate Scandal started to erupt, leading to the resignation of Richard Nixon 43 years ago.

Now that we are in the most dangerous constitutional crisis since Watergate, and actually more dangerous than that one was, it is good that many Watergate Scandal journalists and investigators are still alive, and able to assist with their insights and expertise into the Donald Trump scandals.

It is encouraging that Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, who exposed the facts about the Watergate break in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters, are still actively engaged in pursuing the truth.

Also, Dan Rather, formerly the CBS News anchor from 1981-2005, and Ted Koppel of ABC News and “Nightline”, are both still pursuing the facts, and providing their brilliant analysis on what they see as more concerning than even the Nixon scandals.

Several individuals who helped in the prosecution case. led by Archibald Cox and Leon Jaworksi, 35 years ago, also are still alive and well, and able to give their expertise on comparing Watergate to the Trump scandals, with the general conclusion that this present scandal is more dangerous, constitutionally, than what Nixon represented.

Most observers believe that were Nixon alive today, he would be shocked at what Donald Trump has said and done, wondering how he has been able to accomplish so much in his corruption, and how he must be held accountable for his transgressions.

40th Anniversary Of “All The President’s Men” Film: A Great Moment Of Investigative Journalism!

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If it was not for Bob Woodward, Carl Bernstein, and the investigative journalism of the Washington Post four decades ago, we would never have learned about the illegalities of the Richard Nixon Presidency.

It was their courage and willingness to go where leads took them that held Richard Nixon and his administration accountable for the scandals that besmirched the Presidency, not just Watergate but many others.

The film, starring Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman, came out forty years ago this week, and can be considered one of the very best political films ever produced.

Sadly, journalism has declined dramatically, and too much of it now is entertainment or sensationalism oriented, and this has caused the American people to lose confidence in the reliability and accuracy of journalists.

And newspapers and magazines in print have rapidly disappeared, a tragic turn in journalism, as online has become dominant!

Death Of A Journalism Giant: Ben Bradlee Of The Washington Post, Who Helped To Expose The Corruption Of Richard Nixon!

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The Washington Post Editor, Ben Bradlee, who helped to expose the corruption of Richard Nixon in the Watergate Scandal, and also published the Pentagon Papers in 1971, which exposed the truth of our involvement in Vietnam, died yesterday at the age of 93 of natural causes.

Bradlee was one of the greatest newspaper editors of all time, and made the Washington Post a newspaper competitive with the New York Times.

Bradlee was not afraid to challenge official Washington, DC, and was often threatened by Nixon henchmen, but he was persistent in exposing the truth.

Bradlee hired Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, who were rookie reporters who did the underground “dirty work” to develop the story behind the Watergate Break In on June 17, 1972, which brought down a Presidency two years later.

Bradlee did so much for investigative journalism, and will always be remembered for his courage, guts, principle, and long range impact on journalism.

Sadly, however, we will, probably never see his kind again, certainly not in the old system of print journalism!

40 Years Since The Watergate Scandal Erupted: Its Long Range Effects

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40 years ago today, the Watergate scandal erupted, as seven “burglars” were caught at the Watergate complex in Washington, DC, inside the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee.

The scandal lasted more than two years before President Richard Nixon was forced to resign, in the midst of an impeachment effort that had succeeded, and would have led to his removal from office had he not resigned.

The events of 40 years ago transformed the Presidency, the news media, the political parties, and Americans’ views of their government.

It has led to investigative media that is ready and willing to expose scandal and evil like never before.

It has led to such partisanship that no President can ever really have a true mandate anymore, and antagonism between the major political parties is at an all time high since the Civil War era.

Most Americans are skeptical of the value and virtues of government, a terrible and tragic event, considering the complex world we live in.

Richard Nixon’s reputation has risen quite a bit since his resignation, as many have realized how tragic his downfall was, as he had actually accomplished a great deal of good, mixed in with the evil events of his Presidency.

Disillusionment with many of his successors in the White House has also helped to make him look “better” in many people’s eyes, but the revelation of new transcripts of the Watergate tapes every year remind us just how dangerous and law breaking the 37th President of the United States actually was.

The need for mental health evaluations of Presidential candidates seem more essential now than ever, considering that there were manifestations of mental illness by Nixon, and instability in behavior by Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush in later times.

The Watergate scandal still fascinates us, as a turning point in American history, on the level of the Civil War and the Great Depression, in its long range impact on the nation.

With the Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, and the major exposer of the scandal, John Dean, still alive and kicking, Watergate in many ways is still current, but the question is whether the lessons of that scandal have been learned in a time when we are having millionaires and billionaires investing obscene amounts in campaign spending on the Presidential campaign, thanks to the disgraceful Citizens United case of the Supreme Court in 2010.

So in a sense, Watergate is the past, but also part of the present political situation, sadly!