The first rough draft of history.
BEN BRADLEEI think he had a strange, passionate devotion to the truth and a horror at what he saw going on.
More Ben Bradlee Quotes
-
-
The history of American politics is littered with bodies of people who took so pure a position that they had no clout at all.
BEN BRADLEE -
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 -
You never monkey with the truth.
BEN BRADLEE -
It changes your life, the pursuit of truth.
BEN BRADLEE -
Those [Watergate] tapes are going to take me to my grave with a huge smile on my face.
BEN BRADLEE -
I don’t want to disappoint too many people, but the number of interesting political, historical conversations we had, you could stick in your ear, it wasn’t that many. We talked about friends, family and of course girls.
BEN BRADLEE -
As long as a journalist tells the truth, in conscience and fairness, it is not his job to worry about consequences. The truth is never as dangerous as a lie in the long run. I truly believe the truth sets men free.
BEN BRADLEE -
Our best today; better tomorrow.
BEN BRADLEE -
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 -
Hire people smarter than you are and encourage them to bloom.
BEN BRADLEE -
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 -
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 -
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 -
Generals who can write always make me nervous.
BEN BRADLEE -
There is nothing like daily journalism! Best damn job in the world!
BEN BRADLEE