Crisis reporting: Journalism versus advocacy

Woodward and Bernstein’s resulted in 48 government officials found guilty of breaking the law. Despite these charges and the eventual resignation of Nixon, Woodward still considers the greatest success of his Watergate exposée.

Despite the 48 arrests, eventual resignation of Nixon, and the initiation of President Ford, Woodward considers the greatest success of his Watergate exposée his tireless quest for the truth.

In today’s keynote address, Woodward quoted his former employer, publisher Katharine Graham when she said “Never? Don’t tell me never,” in response to Woodward’s concern that no one would ever uncover the full truth of the Watergate scandal.

For investigative journalists looking to be the next Woodward or Bernstein, the logistics of publication may present an obstacle to their pursuit of the full truth.

The Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, located on Massachusetts Avenue, aims to deal with just that. It gives grants to journalists who hope to give a voice to stories otherwise muffled.

Founded by Jon Sawyer, the non-profit receives funds from other non-profits and decides which stories to invest in. The center specializes in funding foreign correspondence covering international stories like Djibouti, Nepal, and Yemen.

Senior adviser at the center, Marvin Kalb shared his thoughts on the importance of journalism with an organized tour of student journalists attending the convention at 11 a.m. today,

“Think of journalism as another form of teaching, only it’s mass education,” he said. “You’re an essential piece of the fabric of democracy.”

Amanda Ottaway, Education Coordinator at the center, then elicited opinions from the students on the difference between journalism and advocacy, emphasizing that the distinction should be preserved.

Like Woodward, Kalb and Ottaway emphasized the even-handedness in the searching for and reporting the full story, the primary purpose of investigative journalism.