Watergate editor champions the press at JMU celebration

Benjamin Bradlee made his presentation at JMU this past Wednesday.

JMU's annual celebration of namesake James Madison brought renowned newspaper editor Benjamin Bradlee to campus this past Wednesday. Bradlee, currently vice president at large of the Washington Post, oversaw landmark investigations as executive editor, including the Pentagon Papers and the Watergate scandal.

James Madison Day commemorates the birthday of James Madison, as well as the founding of JMU. This year's celebration focused on freedom of the press, as called for by Madison and other Constitution writers in the First Amendment.

Bradlee's speech focused on the role of the press in society. Journalists today, he said, must be lie detectors. "Lying is an epidemic, and we've all become immunized to it," said Bradlee. The climate of politics and journalism changed with the Vietnam War. Bradlee did not say that political leaders before Lyndon B. Johnson did not lie, but that their lies were "less prominent and habitual."

The Vietnam War was "the beginning of a great sea-change," said Bradlee. If the presidential administrations had told the truth about the Vietnam War, or at least admitted their lies, the public may not have lost faith in their leaders. This loss of faith set a precedent not only for politicians but also for the "big shots of American business".

In 1971, Bradlee was instrumental in the publishing of the Pentagon Papers, a secret government report of the Vietnam War. The Post risked legal censure and lawsuits by the Nixon administration. Much to Bradlee's disappointment, the New York Times first published the Pentagon Papers. "I never saw such a big headline in my life," said Bradlee. The Post's main story for the same day covered Tricia Nixon's wedding in the White House.

Desire to be the first to report the news partly drove the Watergate investigation one year later. The historic case began with a break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters in the Watergate Hotel, Washington, D.C. Two years of coverage, spearheaded by Post reporters Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward, brought to light a scandal of political sabotage and cover-ups. In the end, over 40 people went to jail, and President Nixon was forced to resign. "I can't believe that as I read it," said Bradlee in his speech, still overwhelmed by the implications of the investigation.

In his speech, Bradlee highlighted each presidency since Johnson and the administrations' accompanying lies. Bill Clinton's lie about the Monica Lewinsky scandal essentially changed "the quality of the relationship between the president and the press." Bradlee noted that the best newspapers "do not know how to handle public officers lying with a straight face." It is not within the confines of the journalistic system.

"'Where lies the truth?' is the question that dragged us into the press," said Bradlee of journalists. He maintained that a commitment to the truth was essential for journalists and that "any relaxation by the press will be extremely costly to democracy." He feels that "in democracy, the truth will emerge."

At 82, Bradlee remains sharp and quick-witted. He spoke with the voice of a polished writer and journalist, skillfully inserting jokes. When asked about Henry Kissinger, Bradlee noted with a smile, "I didn't include him on my list of liars-but I could have."