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I think he had a strange, passionate devotion to the truth and a horror at what he saw going on.

Ben Bradlee

Sure, some journalists use anonymous sources just because they’re lazy, and I think editors ought to insist on more precise identification even if they remain anonymous.
BEN BRADLEE

Editors Lazy Thinking
To hell with news! I’m no longer interested in news. I’m interested in causes. We don’t print the truth. We don’t pretend to print the truth. We print what people tell us. It’s up to the public to decide what’s true.
BEN BRADLEE

Causes News People
So, here you are, especially in the Pentagon. Some guy tells you something. He says that’s a national security matter. Well, you’re supposed to tremble and get scared and it never, almost never means the security of the national government.
BEN BRADLEE

Journalist National Problem Security Tremble
Hire people smarter than you are and encourage them to bloom.
BEN BRADLEE

Encourage People Smarter
The first rough draft of history.
BEN BRADLEE

Drafts Firsts Journalism Rough
Maybe some of today’s papers have too many ‘feel-good’ features, but there is a lot of good news out there.
BEN BRADLEE

Feel Good News Paper
In the perfect world every source could be identified, but like the man said, “It’s not a perfect world.”
BEN BRADLEE

Men Perfect World
I think he had a strange, passionate devotion to the truth and a horror at what he saw going on.
BEN BRADLEE

Passionate Saws Thinking
Our best today; better tomorrow.
BEN BRADLEE

Better Today Tomorrow
There is nothing like daily journalism! Best damn job in the world!
BEN BRADLEE

Jobs Journalism World
It changes your life, the pursuit of truth.
BEN BRADLEE

Changing Life Pursuit
It’s very hard to stand up to the government which is saying that publication will threaten national security. People don’t seem to realize that reporters and editors know something about national security and care deeply about it.
BEN BRADLEE

Editors Government National People Security
Generals who can write always make me nervous.
BEN BRADLEE

Always General Nervous Writing
You never monkey with the truth.
BEN BRADLEE

Animal Monkey Truth
Everybody who talks to a newspaper has a motive. That’s just a given. And good reporters always, repeat always, probe to find out what that motive is.
BEN BRADLEE

Given Motive Newspapers
The biggest difference between Kennedy and Nixon, as far as the press is concerned, is simply this: Jack Kennedy really liked newspaper people and he really enjoyed sparring with journalists.
BEN BRADLEE

Differences Newspapers People President Press

I think he had a strange, passionate devotion to the truth and a horror at what he saw going on.

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I think he had a strange, passionate devotion to the truth and a horror at what he saw going on.

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