The Bob Woodward Peep Show

Transcription

1 Calhoun: The NPS Institutional Archive Faculty and Researcher Publications Faculty and Researcher Publications The Bob Woodward Peep Show Richter, Steve

2 Page 1 of 5 Home Media Features Press Room Research Archive Contributors About Us Log In Register Now Search Keyword The Globalist and Education Initiative Advisory Board Regular Features Employment Testimonials Look who's watching. On the Richter Scale > Global Politics The Bob Woodward Peep Show By Stephan Richter Tuesday, May 11, 2004 The way in which Americans celebrate the revelations contained in Bob Woodward s books has something surreal to it. People outside the United States increasingly view his accounts of the White House's inner workings as the selfindictment of the U.S. journalistic profession. Stephan Richter explains why. Newsletter sign-up Current sample E-Store Books CDs Photography Deutsch Français eporters have a straightforward job. They are supposed to ask questions and deliver the facts that matter to their core audience, their readers. Two years of hindsight The stakes for doing an excellent job on that front are admittedly higher when it comes to matters of life and death, such as committing a nation to war. Best of 2003 Top 10 Books Top 10 Photo Books Top 10 Stories Countries & Regions Africa Asia-Pacific Europe Latin America Middle East U.S. journalists keep missing the real story when it matters. Faced with that prospect, it is much easier to celebrate Mr. Woodward s latest book. Which is why many of those around the world who do care about the United States are perplexed by the now regular ritual of Bob Woodward publishing books about key events, but doing so two years after those events actually took place. To them, the writings of Bob Woodward have all the charm and relevance of a peep story Print story Become a member of our global community United States

3 Page 2 of 5 Globalization and... Children Companies Culture Development Diplomacy Economy Environment Finance Health History Markets Media Music People Politics Religion Security Sports Technology Women show. They may satisfy a voyeuristic craving. But what does it really matter, they wonder, who did what to whom and when and why two years after the fact? New job description Are U.S. journalists cowed by those in power and desperately seeking to have access at all times relegating themselves to being historians? This is not to belittle Mr. Woodward s reporting accomplishments. They would indeed have been important to read in the country s major newspapers at the time when the decisions of going into Iraq were made but they accomplish little in the current situation. Journalistic support for the administration At that time, though in 2002 and early 2003 there was precious little of this kind of reporting. In retrospect, most reports published back then represent a handsome way of supporting the administration s efforts to ready the country for war. In that sense, Mr. Woodward s book is a stinging selfindictment of U.S. journalism. Leafing through the pages of the material unearthed by Bob Woodward and observing the chatter that his revelations have caused, and continue to cause, in Washington one is reminded of the late stages of the absolute monarchy in France. Busily looking into the rearview mirror, America s journalists are absorbed with the meaningless task of asking who is up and who may be down inside the White House. During the era of the late Louis, the degree by which French nobles hovering around the Versailles court measured their true social status was based on some obscure, yet revealing standards. General support For example, you were assured of being viewed as very much in favor with the royals if, as a noble, you would be invited to the king s chambers in the mornings to view the man himself doing his morning toilette. That unseemly privilege is what perhaps best explains the attraction of Mr. Woodward s books

4 Page 3 of 5 these days. Intriguingly, the book s findings are being promoted by Mr. Bush s political opponents as well as the White House itself. Why? Right question, wrong country Mr. Bush s opponents feel that the book by showing an administration that rushed headfirst into the Iraq War absolves them of their own failure to ask tougher questions before troops were actually committed. Mr. Woodward s book is a stinging selfindictment of U.S. journalism. Many U.S. reporters promptly went about uncovering additional morsels of the story happily telling themselves that they are doing a fine job of keeping the administration honest. Never mind that all the right questions were indeed asked in the run-up to the war but in many other nations, by their newspapers, politicians and citizens. Presidential favorites And even the political right has learned to embrace Mr. Woodward s most recent books because they celebrate their leading man, the 43rd President of the United States. They make him ever more human and accessible and they provide massive entertainment to the media. Busily looking into the rearview mirror, America s journalists are absorbed with the meaningless task of asking who is up and who may be down inside the White House and who may have talked the most or be the closest to the chief justice of U.S. contemporary history, aka Bob Woodward. Failing to do their job In short, over three decades after Messrs. Woodward and Bernstein did their truly path-breaking work in the Watergate context, the U.S. journalistic profession is still mesmerized by the question of who is deep throat in his latest book. This reflex and systemic distraction points to an unwillingness to examine the real problems, that is, a collective inability of the major media to ask the right questions at the right time even if that means that one becomes unpopular. The current alternative

5 Page 4 of 5 Alternatively, having failed in that task, a nation that is so ardent in its claim of having effective checks and balances ought to be very concerned about re-examining why it failed in that task. The trouble, however, is this: If that exercise in national introspection does not occur, U.S. journalists are bound to keep committing the same mistake. Faced with that somber prospect, it is much easier to celebrate Mr. Woodward s latest book. A yawning matter Mr. Woodward s reporting would indeed have been important to read in the country s major newspapers at the time when the decision of going into Iraq was made. U.S. journalists have failed to do their job of informing rather than cheerleading the nation in times of crisis. Only when Mr. Woodward s future books will be greeted with a yawn because we ve read all that already in the newspaper at the time when it happened will the national evasive action of preferring to watch a peepshow à la Plan of Attack have met its proper end. Let us know what you think... Complete the form below to send a letter to the editor about this article. Name Address City and State Country Select One Comments

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