Ben Bradlee Quotes

35 quotes in 402 categories

• Sometimes I am convinced there is nothing wrong with this country that couldn't be cured by the magical implantation of ethical standards on us all…
• The history of American politics is littered with bodies of people who took so pure a position that they had no clout at all.
• As long as a journalist tells the truth, in conscience and fairness, it is not his job to worry about consequences. The truth is never…
• You never monkey with the truth.
• I never believed that Nixon could fully resurrect himself. And the proof of that was in the obits.
• Hire people smarter than you are and encourage them to bloom.
• If an investigative reporter finds out that someone has been robbing the store, that may be 'gotcha' journalism, but it's also good journalism.
• Those [Watergate] tapes are going to take me to my grave with a huge smile on my face..
• Sure, some journalists use anonymous sources just because they’re lazy, and I think editors ought to insist on more precise identification even if they remain…
• It changes your life, the pursuit of truth,
• I don’t want to disappoint too many people, but the number of interesting political, historical conversations we had, you could stick in your ear, it…
• Maybe some of today's papers have too many 'feel-good' features, but there is a lot of good news out there.
• The biggest difference between Kennedy and Nixon, as far as the press is concerned, is simply this: Jack Kennedy really liked newspaper people and he…
• There is nothing like daily journalism! Best damn job in the world!
• Nothing's riding on this, except the First Amendment to the Constitution, freedom of the press and maybe the future of the country. Not that any…
• The first rough draft of history.
• I think he had a strange, passionate devotion to the truth and a horror at what he saw going on.
• The Nixon administration really put a lot of pressure on CBS not to run the second broadcast.
• News is the first draft of history.
• As a child, one looks for compliments. As an adult, one looks for evidence of effectiveness.

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