All the President’ Men Study
Guide
Journalism Principles and Practices
About the Film
The midterm may contain an essay question about the film All
the President’s Men..
While this film is more than two decades old, it illustrates
many continuing issues in media ethics and is still, in my
opinion, the best film ever made about journalistic decisionmaking.
Screenwriter William Goldman spent a great deal of time at
the Washington Post, and shadowed Woodward and
Bernstein for months to pick up on their practices, their
mannerisms, and how they fit into the corporate culture of
journalism.
Things to Watch For…
Take notes about the film and the following issues:
● The threat posed by the U.S. government. Were the reporters and editors
afraid? What did they have to be afraid of? Was it right that they should
have been afraid?
● The glamour afforded to the business of investigative reporting by the case and by
the film. The film, by the way, is true to life in almost every aspect of the
case. Think about why this film prompted journalism school enrollments
to double. If it inspires you, what is the reason? Is it the right reason?
● How the Post reporters went about verifying information. What system did
they use? Did it always work? Was it a good system? Do you think it was
too tight or too loose?
More Things to Watch For…
● The Post reporters were always clear about identifying themselves
as reporters. But sometimes they used coercive techniques. Note
the techniques they used, and be able to identify three such
situations and be able to discuss whether you think their tactics
were right or wrong.
● Most important: Did the ends justify the means in this case? A lot of
people were hurt in the process of the investigation; they lost their
jobs or were publicly humiliated. Be able to analyze a couple such
cases from Kant’s, Bentham’s, and Aristotle’s point of view. Think,
too, about the role of national security in all this.
● Be sure you are conversant with the names of the major figures in the
Watergate affair.