Life in the beat of news

Life of a Reporter

Elham Saleh
Translated by Natalie Haghverdian

2016-8-15

Everything started with a recruitment ad in Editor Publisher: “Metropolitan Editor in Chief required by the most prominent newspaper of the state, 27 years of age, holder of relevant university degree, experienced in provision of news, reports, and articles, available to travel and willing to cooperate with a prominent publication to start mid-October.”

This was the ad that resulted in his recruitment offer. A horrifying interview beyond definition: “It is very hard to describe the fear I had for this interview. I was going to meet the chief of staff of a newspaper that every reporter was dreaming to work for and they were willing to kill to get there.”

Washington Post was in dire straits those days, and compared to four widely published newspapers, Washington “Post” was forth in circulation. Salary of the reporters in the newspaper was trivial but it was reputable. Why? Because of its method of reporting and no fear of any feature or touching any article. The structure was also different; its editorial, Herblock cartoons and sports section were powerful.

One reporter resigned from the newspaper; instead Ben Bradlee was recruited. “A Good Life: Newspapering & Other Adventures” is a book defining his efforts in reporting and defines the status of the newspapers at his time.

News Rewriting

One “A Good Life” reaches the section on Ben Bradlee’s newspapering activities in section five (Washington Post: First Tenure), it starts its educational aspect. It is not a textbook; however it involves educational aspects. The first aspect is morality. When Ben Bradlee was recruited by Washington Post, Life Magazine makes an offer with $150 by the week which was twice the salary he was to earn in Washington Post and for a much easier job. It was an obscene amount of money and by today’s standards he had to quickly move to Life, but he didn’t: “I rather write articles and involve in newspapering with low income than get paid for designing the photo pages of Life magazine. Anyway,  I had already accepted the offer of Washington Post and it didn’t feel right to move away even before starting my first day at work.”

The book covers every aspect of what a reporter/journalist might experience in his career. Rewriting and sections in the newspaper which only filled the pages, is one of the issues: “Professionally, first weeks of my new career was spent on rewriting articles that were notified by various urban institutions and centers in brief notes. Such news flashes were ridges published in pages to fill the empty spaces and edges of the paper while offering no real news to the public.”

Every reporter is familiar with rewriting! And every newspaper receives such news flashes.

Public Reporter

Demonstrating high capacity, Ben Bradlee was commissioned to investigate Casinos and write articles against them. He wasn’t familiar with the subject and had to prepare a list of all existing casinos. He quickly provided the list which was due to his experience in communication and not because it was an easy job to do. This is a familiar concept for reporters to work on an article for days or weeks and prepare it rather quickly. If you provide such information rather quickly to the editor, he will not consider the professional edge of the reporter but will conclude that the article lacks professional insight.

However, Ben Bradlee was well versed in this aspect hence he employs a trick: “It was not the best interest to provide the article so quickly to the editor. He had commissioned me half an hour ago. So I waited a day. The next day, I typed the list and 48 hours later put the list on editor’s desk.”

The reporter of Washington Post was a fast learner employing his own experience properly. Hard work was an invaluable experience for him: “The best and positive aspect of my job in municipal court was that I had to prepare three or four news for very article and this daily and hard practice taught me how to write swift and firm and I was hoping that this will define my progress in reporting and professional achievements.”

He was promoted to Public Reporting in 1949 which was the highest post in an editorial.

Understanding differences & transferring to audience

Ben Bradlee would visit the scene of events and his job was his priority and would dedicate long hours to his career. Bradlee, in his book, refers to obvious discrimination within newspaper business which is less seen today and has provided a comparison: “Female reporters during World War II, when most reporters were men, had traveled to the battlefields and were trying to define their status within editorial boards. Many of them managed to preserve their career but many others, due to legal obligation of reappointing male reporters coming back from war, had no choice but to leave their post. “

This would apply to black reporters as well which were rare in numbers. These incidents occurred in 1965 to 1971 in Washington Post.

The reporter would see the difference and transfer it to his audience. Difference of television news reporting and paper publications was one of them which is also covered in the book: “The art of TV is that within the first hours of an incident demonstrates live and exciting images; however, it is less successful in understanding the reality and investigating the cause of incidents … This is where the role of newspaper becomes vital. Newspapers compensate their inability to quickly report the news and demonstrate images by providing background information and comprehensive coverage of various aspects.”

Closure of New York Herald Tribune was another incident which occurred during 1965 to 1971. It was rather painful for America’s reporters.

Ben Bradlee was dispatched to Vietnam to provide news coverage. The most interesting incident in this trip was reporters and armed forces coping beyond politics of Washington.

Watergate & Nixon Resignation

Another issue which Bradlee covers in his book is distinction of important and unimportant news. He also defines Watergate in his book. Some newspaper headlines for 6 to 9 August 1974 when Nixon resigned due to Watergate incident: “August 6: President confessed, he had not delivered the tapes. The tapes indicated secrecy of the Whitehouse on Watergate. August 7: Nixon will resign. August 8: Nixon at the verge of resignation. August 9: Nixon resigned.” The book offers interesting descriptions and definition. One of which is regarding the nature of journalism: “Journalism is a chain of small bites from a fruit unknown to you in type, size and volume. You have to take a bite to know if it’s an apple and then other bites to determine its size.” Recognizing private and social life of people and respecting their privacy are other moral aspects of journalism offered in the book.

A Good Life, is a book on journalism experience of Ben Bradlee covering a period of Washington Post’s activity.

Journalism versus other professions

There are interesting quotes at the end of the book; the fact that when a journalist reaches a point in his professional life that important news doesn’t excite him anymore, he has to quit the profession. Of course these quotes refer to an era of real journalism.

Bradlee was a real journalist. Once quitting the editorial board of Washington Post he was involved in various other activities as the Chairman of Saint Mary Historical City Commission, Member of the Board of Trustees of Maryland University, and chief of fund to establish a charity hospital for children; however, none were as fulfilling as journalism: “none of this compare to the adventures of journalism that I dealt with such as Pentagon secret files, Watergate of other issues of national security.”

Ben Bradlee & his book

The book is designed in 18 chapters and a final chapter. Chapter one to five mostly cover Ben Bradlee’s personal life with the titles of “First Years”, “Harvard”, “Marines” and “New Hampshire”. Washington Post: First Tenure, Paris: First tenure in Paris: second tenure , News Week Washington, John F. Kennedy, New Week. Post Kennedy,, Washington Post: 1965-1971, Pentagon Documents, Watergate, Washington Post 1975-1980, National security from government’s perspective and other titles in the book.

A member of the Boston Brahmin Crowninshield family, Bradlee was born in Boston, in 1921. He joint New Hampshire Newspaper in 1946 and moved to Washington Post in 1948. He left Washington Post for a while and worked in News Week and then returned to Washington Post. In 1956 he became the executive editor of the newspaper and in 1968 was appointed as the chief editor and worked there till 1991. Washington Post was rewarded 18 Pulitzer Awards during his tenure. He died in 2014 at the age of 93.