"all the President's Men" Review

The difference between being a good journalist and a great journalist is simple. You have to be persistent and sneaky. This is apparent in the 1976 film "All the President's Men." The two main characters are both journalists for The Washington Post; their names are Woodward and Bernstein. They both are put on the case of the Watergate scandal, and are trying to expose the President of the United States. At first the less experienced Woodward is put on it, and after Bernstein is secretly editing Woodward's work it becomes a duel effort. The two men work excellently together, and make great progress in finding out the truth behind the scandal.

One of the key ways that Woodward and Bernstein display their greatness in journalism is through their persistence. For example, as they were knocking on doors trying to get an interview with the members of the Committee to Reelect the President. Each and every person would slam there door in their face, denying them of any answers. However, this was not the end of trying to get to the bottom of this subject. Eventually Bernstein was able to find a weakness in one person, and barge into the house asking for a cigarette. During the interview he would drink numerous cups of coffee in order to not get kicked out. Although it may sound ridiculous, Bernstein's persistence was impressive, and something that not many people would have done.

Other than persistence, Bernstein also displays sneakiness greatly in order to get answers. As he was in the office of an interviewee it was unlikely that he would get the interview he was promised. At this point he acted as if he was leaving when in reality Bernstein went around the corner, and made a fake phone call. This fake call got the secretary out of her seat, and allowed Bernstein to sneak into the office. By sneaking in he was able to get the interview and information in which he intended to get. This shows that when the answers appear to be impossible to get, and sometimes you have to be tricky to get by.

The film "All the President's Men" is a very interesting movie, and would be especially important to young journalists looking to make a future out of it. This would show them that in order to be a great journalist one must be persistent and sneaky in order to get the information you desire.