Ex-Watergate writer laments 'idiot culture'

TBay Trib ^ | 3/19/04 | BRADY DENNIS

[NotchJohnson]

TAMPA - Legendary reporter Carl Bernstein riffed Thursday night about President Bush, the Martha Stewart trial, the war in Iraq and his affection for Florida.

But mostly he talked about an epidemic that troubles him deeply these days. He calls it "the triumph of idiot culture."

Speaking to a crowd of about 200 at the Wyndham Westshore, he placed most of the blame on modern media outlets.

Bernstein, the former Washington Post journalist who, along with fellow reporter Bob Woodward, unearthed the Watergate scandal that led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon, said much of today's news has deteriorated into gossip, sensationalism and manufactured controversy.

That type of news panders to the public and insults their intelligence, ignoring the context of real life, he said. Good journalism, Bernstein said, "should challenge people, not just mindlessly amuse them."

He said the modern press lacks true leadership, citing such examples as AOL Time Warner and mogul Rupert Murdoch as media owners that have increasingly abandoned the principles of meaningful reporting.

"Their interest in truth is secondary to their interest in huge profits," Bernstein said.

Still, he said people can change that trend by exploring the Internet and piecing together from reputable sources their own news about important world matters.

He offered another solution to avoiding the trash that fills the airwaves: "Change the damn channel. Simple."

Bernstein also turned his attention Thursday to the coming election, calling President Bush "the most radical president of my lifetime and perhaps in the century."

Bernstein said Bush "is radical in every degree," from a favoritism of the wealthy to a pre-emptive foreign policy to a lack of concern for civil rights.

"He certainly seems more ideological than any of our presidents," Bernstein said.

Even so, Bernstein said he hopes a genuine debate can take place this year about the future of the country, rather than the petty quarrels and meaningless accusations that so often dominate campaign coverage.

"Let's move beyond the absurd name-calling and sound bite journalism," he said. "It is our job ... to force a real debate."

Try as he might, Bernstein could not escape the ghosts of Watergate, even for one night. A man stood during the post-speech question-and-answer session and asked if Deep Throat, the anonymous source used by Woodward and Bernstein, was a real person.

Bernstein smiled and broke into an impression of Nixon, grumbling to an assistant and wondering himself about Deep Throat's identity.

"It is one person," Bernstein said, finally. "We did not make it up."

And when Deep Throat dies, he said, "We will reveal him."

[NotchJohnson]

This man must be right up there with Croncite or Jimmy Carter as liberal idols. As far as the name calling, much of it is done by people who took Nixon down. Saw a movie about him and his partner in high school and you would have thought that these guys saved the world.

[PISANO]

CB is a friggin Socialist!

[ClearCase_guy]

"Their interest in truth is secondary to their interest in huge profits," Bernstein said.

Bernstein also turned his attention Thursday to the coming election, calling President Bush "the most radical president of my lifetime and perhaps in the century."

How about making truth secondary to your interest in the Leftist Agenda?

[Betaille]

How can the Washington Post deny liberal bias when their reporters(former and/or current) are out there talking like this?

[Behind Liberal Lines]

Amazing how more and more of these "icons of journalism" come out as vocal leftists and, yet, the media continues to deny they are liberal.

[mountaineer]

Idiot culture? Would that be the morons who elected Bill Clinton president, and Hillary Clinton senator of a state in which she never lived?

Good journalism, Bernstein said, "should challenge people, not just mindlessly amuse them."

Wrong. "Journalism," or more accurately, reporting, should provide factual information to people. No more, no less.

[hobbes1]

And when Deep Throat dies, he said, "We will reveal him."

Somehow I doubt these two (BW, CB) will outlive Donald Rumsfeld.

[ForGod'sSake]

Ex-Watergate writer laments 'idiot culture'

This from one who should know...

FGS

[Ann Archy]

Carl Bernstein despises Bush because he's a CONSERVATIVE CHRISTIAN President...period!

[End Times Sentinel]

And when Deep Throat dies, he said, "We will reveal him."

Somehow I doubt these two (BW, CB) will outlive Donald Rumsfeld.- hobbes1

Admittedly, I'm nothing of a Watergate Buff (I was running around in short pants back in those days), but I thought I saw and read a couple things that pretty conclusively said it was Pat Buchanan.  Thoughts?

Owl_Eagle

" WAR IS PEACE
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY
DIVERSITY IS STRENGTH"

[dogbyte12]

Bernstein is a liberal idiot but I do agree with him on one point. Especially in regards to "local news", it is idiot culture. The bias is for sensationalistic crap. You always know when sweeps month is coming because there are "shocking" exposes on bikini carwashes, or the body count of the day, followed by fashion tips, and the cute little dog who can ride on a moped. It is absolute crap. Most of our media organs have no bodies on the ground in most capitols of the world so when events happen in Iran or Pakistan, or Venezuela, they are utterly unprepared to report on it.

Heck, here in California, the local media used to have a station chief in Sacramento. They stopped doing that as a "cost savings measure". How pathetic can you get when you won't even cover your state capitol, yet throw a million dollars at an anchor who while they might have a nice tan, haircut, and capped teeth, can't pronounce the names of half the countries in the world.

I would rather have liberal or conservative biased press than fricking idiot press. We have sunk that low.

[cwb]

Where to begin? First this:

""Their interest in truth is secondary to their interest in huge profits," Bernstein said.""

If this were true, than the lamestreams would be moving right, as they are losing viewers (and profits) nightly. While I will concede that there is a pandering to lowest common denominator in our culture, the partisan media continues to lean left even at loss of viewership...and they do this despite polls that show America far more conservative than those who present the news. I don't even want to get into the idea that "Bush is the most radical president" in his lifetime, since Bush has advanced the liberal agenda further than most liberals could have.

[annyokie]

"the most radical president of my lifetime and perhaps in the century."


Earth to Carl: Dubya has been the ONLY President of this century.

[anonymous_user]

Idiot culture, Mr. Beerstein?
Go back to writing about your stupid bear family.

[Jim_Curtis]

"It is one person," Bernstein said, finally. "We did not make it up."

And when Deep Throat dies, he said, "We will reveal him."

---

DT is still alive so he is reading these comments and is being told that he will be revealed the day he dies? That doesn't seem real.

[justshutupandtakeit]

Riiight Bush has advanced the liberal agenda so much they are in a frenzy of hatred for him. What a dolt.

[hobbes1]

Here is a Start

[Darlin']

"Bernstein also turned his attention Thursday to the coming election, calling President Bush "the most radical president of my lifetime and perhaps in the century."

Sheesh, Carl, you're so 1974, do try to keep up. We're barely into the 4th year of this century, rigiht now and for the next 4 years, President Bush is the only president of this century.

[Wallaby]

Fred F. Fielding (Wiley Rein & Fielding LLP) was born on March 21, 1939 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

[ClearCase_guy]

DT is still alive so he is reading these comments and is being told that he will be revealed the day he dies? That doesn't seem real.

Deep Throat is a fiction. Either Bernstein will die first and it will be "forever a mystery" or someone like Buchanan will die and Bernstein will try to defame the dead by pinning it on him.

Woodward and Bernstein are as bad as the 1930's Pulitzer Prize winner who reported that Stalin was a sweetheart, even though he knew it was a lie. Ideologues. True Believers. They wanted to destroy Nixon and had nothing but guesses and half-truths. No newspaper would touch such shoddy journalism, so they made up Deep Throat. Voila! The half-truths could be printed and the agenda could be advanced.