In 1972, Two journalists from the Washington Post are assigned to investigate a break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate Office Building. They start to ask around and people are acting extremely shady, contradicting themselves, and volunteering pleas of innocence when no questions of guilt were asked. Despite a large-scale cover-up, they dig deeper at the risk of losing their jobs and smearing the credibility of their newspaper. Even after they find out their lives may be in danger, they continue to search for the truth. They finally uncover that the conspiracy went all the way up the chain of command to then-President Richard Nixon (R). The scandal eventually led to Nixon’s resignation on August 9, 1974.
There were a few elements of this film that were reminiscent of the material we’ve covered in class. It was obvious right away that the journalists were not in charge. They had some say in the stories they were working on, but generally speaking, the editors had the final say. They decided what was printed, and where it was placed in the newspaper. The number one thing their editors were concerned about was accuracy. The text tells us, “the media professional is governed by a number of considerations”, but chief among them is “the need for accurate information.” They go on to emphasize that, “More than anything else, accurate information determines how good a professional writer is.”
I admire their selfless courage and professionalism in the face of genuine danger and serious government corruption. Even though they were pressed by their bosses, made fun of in the media, and lied about by politicians and shady high-profile individuals, they managed to stay professional. They both did their best to protect their sources. One was republican and one was democrat, but they put aside their own political biases in favor of printing the truth. They didn’t like each other at first, but learned to work together and saw the story through until the end.
Today, the technology is more advanced, and the face of the media landscape has changed with the rise of the alternative media. However, in many respects, the industry has not changed. Sin nature abounds, corruption is prevalent, high-profile individuals lie and cover things up to save face, those who know the truth are often scared to speak up, and journalists that don’t go along with the official narrative are attacked and slandered.
In my opinion, this is one of the most important political films of all time. It serves as a cautionary tale about corruption in high places. We learn that when the government investigates itself, its findings cannot always be trusted. It also acts as a window into the monotonous yet thrilling life of a journalist. We learn that the most important stories are not always the ones that are highlighted, and journalists have to fight for what they know is right. The over-arching theme of the film is that the journalistic tradition is one of facts over assumptions; truth over speculation. As students of journalism, the message is clear: be hungry, get plenty of sources, trust your gut instincts, and “follow the money”.