All the President's Men

By Jessica De Vivo

Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein were the infamous journalists of the Washington Post who investigated the details of the Watergate scandal revolving around former President Richard Nixon. In the movie, All the President’s Men, in which Robert Redford stars as Woodward and Dustin Hoffman as Bernstein, the intensity of the life of the journalist devoted to the facts of the story is brought to life. Even when their lives may have been in danger, finding the details of the story and getting the truth out to the citizens remained the top priority.

In Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel’s The Elements of Journalism, much emphasis is placed on the discipline of verification in seeking numerous witnesses to the account and putting ample research into it. All the President’s Men clearly demonstrates this through the various scenes of picking up the phone and knocking on strangers’ doors to find the necessary information. The intense investigation can especially be seen through this time period in which journalists did not have the luxury of a computer to help them with their reporting. All the President’s Men portrays the immense time and energy Woodward and Bernstein prioritized to get to the bottom of the Watergate scandal.

State of Truth

By Jessica De Vivo

Pursuing the truth in journalism may not always be an easy, safe ride. Despite all of the Hollywood connotations associated with the movie, State of Play, featuring Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck, and Rachel McAdams, it truly demonstrates the risk-taking involved and the importance of chasing after the truth at all costs. Set in Washington, D.C., the movie portrays Crowe as a journalist in the midst of the political hype and drama of the city, along with Affleck playing to role of a politician and McAdams, a blogging journalist. A complicated situation arises regarding a woman Affleck had an affair with and the questionable circumstances of her death.

Amid the twist and turns of digging to find the truth of the matter, Crowe experiences near-death circumstances. Seeking the truth of the story even causes his friend, Affleck, to lose faith in him and ridicule him for it, “You're just seeking the truth. . . You're not interested in me. [I]t's all about you and you getting your story” (State of Play). A journalist must be careful to keep one’s integrity and not defame another’s name, however, sometimes, the truth is more important and does not always appease everyone. The movie makes many references to the importance of truth in journalism and it is a definite must-see for any aspiring journalist.