In 1972 there was a break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate building in Washington, D.C. Two reporters for the Washington Post became detectives of the story. Woodward and Bernstein are attached to the grueling case. They want to get the story right and become dedicated to and immersed in the story. Perhaps too immersed, since not only their reputations but also their lives are on the line.
Journalism is said to be a profession for people and with people. Even in the 1970s, when the events took place, newspapers such as the Washington Post were accused of producing fake news–although that term wasn’t used. So journalists needed to be able to trust and be trusted. This shows when Ben Bradlee, the executive editor of the Post, had the courage to put his faith in his two reporters. This put pressure on the duo called “Woodstein.” Their investigative trial led them to big names, all the way to the president.
These events from over 40 years ago can teach us much in today’s world. This is especially clear when Ben Bradlee says, “Not that there’s a lot riding on this. Only the First amendment and Freedom of the Press and maybe the future of our democracy.” The First Amendment includes freedom of speech and of the press. This teaches us that we the people always have a right to speak and find the truth. It’s important that we see dedication to these freedoms. Even through the threats to their lives, the two journalists persevere. They become true journalists by finding out how to tell the story the right way. We see them look through library cards for books in a time where there were no computers to look through logs. They stay persistent and teach us all a valuable lesson about sticking to what you believe is right.
If they had not pursued the story and had instead taken the easy way out, they would have shown us a different lesson. That would be something that a journalist wouldn’t be proud of because a good journalist doesn’t give up. A good journalist doesn’t give up on the people, doesn’t give up on the freedoms of speech and of the press.
This movie is based on the book “All the President’s Men” from the 1970s. We see the outdated clothing and transportation, along with manual typewriters and wired telephones. The outdated materials we see in the movie add an insight into what it could have been like. It helps us understand what journalists went through in the past and go through in the present. We need to know what we have to get to, to get the stories that we see today. We can get caught in our own world and don’t stop to appreciate the people who put effort into getting information.
You should most definitely watch this movie. “All the President’s Men” is a great movie with a bigger meaning behind it. Not only do we get a flash back to the ‘70s, but we also get to see the investigations behind the stories in the papers. The commitment that the duo Bernstein and Woodward demonstrate shows us what journalism is all about. This movie will be a blast from the past and an insight to the future.
