“All The President’s Men” is a non-fiction book written by journalists Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward. The book depicts how the two journalists repoted the Watergate break in and how they contributed to the outbreak of the Watergate scandal that put the end to the political career of the would-be President of the US, Nixon. In fact, the book chronicles the investigation of the Watergate scandal conducted by Woodward and Bernstein and the revelation of Nixon tapes by Alexander Butterfield. The book conveys the detailed depiction of the investigation conducted by journalists and events that accompanied their investigation, including the pressure on the mass media from the part of politicians. At the same time, the book reveals the complexity of the work of journalists and their close cooperation with their sources, such as Deep Throat, who gave important information concerning Watergate break in to Woodward. In such a way, the authors of the book use the Watergate scandal as a ground for the depiction of their professional work. They reveal the complex and responsible work of journalists, who investigate publicly significant issue. Therefore, the authors depict the contribution of independent journalists and mass media in the maintenance of democracy in the US through their hard work and their work reveals the full extent to which mass media may influence the politics and society.
In fact, the book starts with the beginning of the investigation of the Watergate break in conducted by Woodward and Bernstein. The journalists conduct their investigation, collect information and look for sources. Woodward finds a reliable source, whom he called Deep Throat. The Deep Throat provides the journalist with important and up-to-date information, which turns out to be crucial in the course of the investigation. As journalists carry on their investigation, new and new facts about the political elite at large and the President Administration and closest environment are revealed. The journalists learn that Nixon and his environment conduct unfair play with their opponents, the Democrats, and with US society at large because the use of illegal methods by Nixon’s men is not just unfair but it violates the basic legal norms and human rights and liberties. The more the journalists learn in the course of their investigation, the further they go in their investigation. Eventually, their investigation leads to the revelation of Nixon tapes by Alexander Butterfield, which is the crucial point in their investigation. The Watergate scandal outbreaks and ruins Nixon’s political career as well as many other careers of people in his environment.
In such a way, the book reveals the investigation conducted by journalists, which eventually resulted in the revelation of the greatest scandal related to the US President. This was the most significant political scandal involving the US President by that time. In such a context, it is hardly possible to underestimate the role of journalists and their impact on the US politics. Their investigation helped to reveal unfair practices conducted by Nixon’s men. The book depicts in details the investigation process that is very important because such detailed description helps readers to feel the authentic atmosphere of the investigation process as well as the time, when the journalists worked.
On the other hand, their reporting and investigation were extremely difficult because they had to overcome a number of obstacles that reveals the fact that the work of journalists, being extremely important, is not so easy as it may seem to be. Therefore, the book debunks the myth about the easy work of journalists. In stark contrast, the authors of the book show that their investigation put under a threat many careers and, what is more, many people were just unwilling to participate in the investigation and cooperate with journalists.
In such a way, the book reveals the full extent to which the political system of the US was corrupted and the authors stress the importance of independent media because it is due to their fair and independent work, they have managed to conduct their investigation. On the other hand, it is obvious that mass media have proved to be independent too since the journalists have managed to make the results of their investigation available to the public. Hence, the authors of the book reach their main goal and show the audience how important mass media are for the US society and politics, in particular.
The revelations made by the journalists, which the authors depict in the book, are important but more important is the role of the mass media and journalists, which the authors reveal in their book. In fact, the book shows that independent mass media and journalists are guardians of democracy. They protect the US society from being deceived by politicians and they prevent the use of unfair methods of political struggle.
Thus, taking into account all above mentioned, it is important to place emphasis on the fact that “All The President’s Men” by Bernstein and Woodward is the non-fiction book that reveals the real work of journalists and their contribution to the US democracy revealing the role of media in protection of public interests.
Works Cited:
Bernstein, C. and B. Woodward. All The President’s Men. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1974.