EOTO 3 Bob Woodward

                            Bob Woodward 

Many Americans called Bob Woodward “the greatest reporter of all time.” So, what made him one of the most influential journalists today? Well, fellow readers, here is his story from one aspiring journalist to another.  

                                                    Bob  Woodward 
Photographed by Lisa Berg

Woodward’s infamous story begins when he was born in Genova, Illinois on March 26th, 1943. He was accepted into Yale University and double majored in History and English. Yale is where he received his Bachelor's degree in 1965 after which he decided to enlist in the US Navy for five years. 

Once he retired from the Navy, Woodward went to The Washington Post seeking a job as a reporter. However, the first time, he failed his two-week reporter trial and was out of a job. In 1971, he was hired by the Montgomery Sentinel, a weekly newspaper that ironically referred him to The Washington Post, who gave him a second chance.  

What story was his big break as a journalist? Bob Woodward and his good friend Carl Bernstein were the two main reporters who brought to light the greatest presidential scandal in the United States history involving a sitting president, Richard Nixon.   

During President Nixon's reelection campaigns, he and his administration were caught red-handed by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein for their white-collar crimes. President Nixon and his administration were secretly pilfering legal papers and bugging telephone calls to ensure that he won the election. However, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein were thick as thieves to capture and reveal Nixon’s suspicious crimes which changed reporting forever. 

                                            Bob Woodward 
Bernstein (L) and Woodward (R) discuss Watergate.    

Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein discovered and deciphered the clues that would put President Nixon in the hot seat exposing his illegal activities. Their reports won them a Pulitzer Prize as they both wrote a number-one bestseller book called “All the President’s Men.” Their novel gained so much national attention that President Nixon resigned in 1974.  

Now, as a journalist, you must have a source for your information. Who was Woodward and Bernstein’s source? They got their top confidential information from an incognito source called “Deep Throat.” In 2005 Deep Throat was unmasked to be W. Mark Felt, a former director of the FBI during Watergate.  

For the first time, journalists were able to expose a President by gaining mass media attention and providing factual information to the American people. Both young reporters were determined to expose the story of the Watergate Crimes and attempted coverups. Woodward’s reputation skyrocketed as a reporter due to his coverage of this massive scandal.  

As journalists, the government tried to implement a “stonewall.” The US government ridiculed Woodward and Bernstein for their reports. In 1972, The White House Press Secretary Ron Ziegler said that their reports were extremely inaccurate and full of false interpretations. A year later, he apologized to the Washington Post, saying both reporters deserved credit and praise.  

Bob Woodward is the author of more than a dozen books about Watergate and on various U.S. presidents. Ten of his stories won Pulitzer Prizes for national reporting.  

During Bill Clinton’s Whitewater scandal, Bob Woodward wrote “The Agenda” which became a bestseller immediately as he exposed the Clinton administration for their wrongdoings in failed economic investments. Bill Clinton said, “The Woodward book tore my guts out....” For the first time, a President feared a journalist and admitted it publicly.   

                           Bob Woodward
Collection of his novels about
the Iraq War.

Bob Woodward interviewed President George W. Bush on his 9/11 responses as well as his involvement in the Iraq War where violence peaked. Many Americans risked their lives in this multi-year war.  Woodward stated Bush could never be a leader and used a positive attitude to divert the American people from the President. Woodward wrote several novels about America’s involvement in the Iraq war.  

During the Obama years, Woodward focused on America’s involvement in Afghanistan and in the Pakistan War including Obama’s responses between the White House and the military.  

Recently Woodward wrote a novel called, “Fear” depicting President Trump’s term in the White House and his outlook on foreign affairs.  

Bob Woodward was so famous that many tried to destroy and find flaws in his reports and books. Most of the books that Woodward wrote became bestsellers in the non-fiction category. He focused on the truth and used his method of “show up and shut up.  

Presently, Bob Woodward is still a reporter and a bestseller author sharing some of the greatest stories depicted throughout his career.  

                                                      Bob Woodward 
Reporting on a live live broadcast. 

Other reporters were intimidated by Woodward due to his determination, perseverance, hardworking spirit, and how his reporting style was always one step ahead of the game. Bob Woodward was a modern-day muckraker who put his factual reports first and his reputation second, causing him to be remembered as one of the greatest reporters in America.