This has never been the case. For the first time in Korean history, 3 of the major local broadcasts- KBS, MBC, YTN- including one news agency, Yonhap News started an unprecedented strike. Thousands of media workers are hitting the streets demanding fairness in broadcasting. In an attempt to condemn the politically biased management systems of each broadcasting station, the unionized members of the joint strike are consecutively demanding the resignations of their presidents respectively. Recent upheavals in the press have questioned the meaning of the media and the role of journalists. One may ask, “How can people be fair when the society is mired in a deplorable situation full of bias?” The movie “All the Presidents’ Men” claims the answers as two journalists embark on a quest to unveil a dangerous truth.

 

Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein are both journalists of the Washington Post. As both rivals and collaborators, the two journalists investigate the truth underlying the Watergate scandal. The movie candidly depicts the role of journalists and enlightens viewers the meaning of justice.
The movie is set in the year of 1972, during Nixon’s presidency. A security guard at the Watergate Complex finds a door unlocked with a sign of intrusion. At first the incident is overlooked, deemed as a minor break in, but as Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein dig deeper, they discover correlated connections; the trail that leads from the Republican Party to the Justice Department, and ultimately to the White House itself. In the end, Woodward and Bernstein publicize the matter, thereby typing out the full story regarding the Watergate scandal. Nixon resigns, shortly after. The ending is especially memorable, as the image of two journalists fervently typing the news of the scandal overlaps with that of Nixon’s inauguration.
First released in 1976, the movie was sensational to many American viewers. The level of distrust in Americans towards their government and politicians were exceptionally high during this time. Prior to the movie, the two journalists of The Washington Post, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, published a non-fiction book under the same title. For quite some time, Watergate Scandal was a taboo subject, but with consecutive exposure from the book and the movie, along with the press, the scandal was officially out to the public.
The result was successful. The Washington Post won a Pulitzer for its Watergate coverage and the movie dominated the awards ceremony, by winning Golden Globes, Academy Awards, MTV Movie Awards and more. The movie also garnered millions of viewers and successfully gained people’s awareness on justice and fairness. Although Woodward and Bernstein were forced to quit their jobs, they became best sellers of the highly acclaimed non-fiction book that covers the Watergate Scandal.

 

 
“Nothing’s riding on this except the, uh, first amendment to the constitution, freedom of the press, and maybe the future of the country.” This is what Ben Bradlee, then executive director of The Washington Post, said in the movie. He is the one who assigned Woodward and Bernstein to cover the Watergate Scandal. The quote itself explicitly demonstrates the role of media; it should be used to disclose the truth so that the public can gain access to what they rightfully deserve to know. Only then will the public work towards bringing a positive outlook on the future. In order for all this to happen, journalists must actively play their parts, by locating and uncovering the truth. Actively, however does not mean going against the justifiable means and ends to attain truth. Woodward and Bernstein were not blindly obsessive to the truth; they were wise enough to incorporate a method that could alleviate the emotional burden of their sources (those who come forward with secret information). The two journalists strictly followed the precondition of ensuring anonymity of these sources. They also avoided questions that led their sources to provide a direct answer; this was a way to prevent repercussions that might adversely affect the sources’ physical safety or job security. All throughout the movie, it was evident that Woodward and Bernstein strictly followed the basics of media ethics.
Despite countless government interventions that threatened Woodward and Bernstein to stop their investigation, they resisted and persistently fought for the truth. Perhaps the ongoing strike serves the same purpose, to expose the truth that people have yearned. Media workers should keep in mind the ethics and roles of journalists portrayed in the movie, ‘All the Presidents’ Men.” Changes in the current broadcasting system should be made on the basis of these principles. Clearly, the fight for justice has only just begun.
 

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