Thursday, June 02, 2005
The Real Story
I was a bit disappointed when Vanity Fair broke the Deep Throat Story, mostly because I'm not a fan of their whole "One good story hidden behind three profiles of moron celebrities and the latest clap-trap by Dominic Dunne" formula. I also thought Woodward and Bernstein should get to do the big reveal.
Bowed but undefeated, the Washington Post is cranking out some fascinating coverage which far outstrips Vanity Fair. In particulat, read Bob Woodward's account of his relationship with Mark Felt.
Also, read this explanation of the Post's scooping. Rather than a loss to Vanity Fair, it was an integrity move. They kept their word. Tom Rosenstiel, director of the nonprofit Project for Excellence in Journalism, said in the article:
"You have your word, and the words have to mean something literally. Your credibility with all the future sources you might deal with, and the credibility of your organization, depends on people understanding that. The Post looks better today because Woodward and Bernstein allowed themselves to be scooped."
Woodward and Bernstein are truly great journalists, professional to the end. ¶ 11:59 a.m.
Bowed but undefeated, the Washington Post is cranking out some fascinating coverage which far outstrips Vanity Fair. In particulat, read Bob Woodward's account of his relationship with Mark Felt.
Also, read this explanation of the Post's scooping. Rather than a loss to Vanity Fair, it was an integrity move. They kept their word. Tom Rosenstiel, director of the nonprofit Project for Excellence in Journalism, said in the article:
"You have your word, and the words have to mean something literally. Your credibility with all the future sources you might deal with, and the credibility of your organization, depends on people understanding that. The Post looks better today because Woodward and Bernstein allowed themselves to be scooped."
Woodward and Bernstein are truly great journalists, professional to the end. ¶ 11:59 a.m.
