"Free Speech is an invaluable resource for aspiring journalists as well as for those who simply recognize journalism's important role and its potential for good."
Joseph Russomanno, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication
Arizona State University
Experiencing the world of journalism through the eyes of Ben Bradlee is a unique and informative journey. In “Free Speech” the former executive editor of The Washington Post shares his wisdom and perspectives in a wide-ranging conversation with his friend and PBS anchor, Jim Lehrer. The one-hour program reveals the best of Bradlee – a straight-talking, honest and intelligent newsman who was on the frontlines during some of journalism's most noteworthy moments.
“Free Speech” is largely biographical. (That points to the only quibble with the program — its title. The program's relationship to free speech is minimal at best – unless the program's producers are attempting to evoke Bradlee's flair for speaking freely. Viewers seeking any kind of free speech analysis within a First Amendment context will be disappointed.) To witness Bradlee's career is also to witness some of the landmark events in journalism history, from the mountaintop of the Post's Watergate coverage to the valley of learning and acknowledging that a Pulitzer Prize-winning story was fabricated by a reporter. (The award was returned, with egg on the face of Bradlee, his Post colleagues and, to a lesser extent, all of journalism.)
The value of “Free Speech” lies in the topics explored. Given the crucial role that journalism plays in a self-governing democracy, the critical examination that Bradlee provides is important and instructive. Each episode in his career lends itself to a discussion of contemporary manifestations of the same issues. With Watergate, for example, the practice of using anonymous sources is explored. While Bradlee believes they are over-used today, he is steadfast in his belief that that practice is essential to getting information sources to talk. “You can't beat having someone tell you the truth,” Bradlee says, explaining that it is sometimes only with an assurance of anonymity that a source may be willing to share the truth.
Finding and telling the truth, in fact, is the Holy Grail that Bradlee says defines journalism. “We're in a holy profession,” he says, though he acknowledges that respect from a dubious public often tends to be scarce.
Journalistic integrity and ethics are recurring issues in “Free Speech.” An exploration of Bradlee's personal friendship with President John Kennedy, for example, is the springboard into discussions about conflicts of interest and to what extent journalists should become involved with political causes. The independence of the news process is explored on several levels. When program host Lehrer asks about firewalls, Bradlee stresses the need inside media organizations for separation between the news, business and editorial departments. “It's like church and state,” he says.
Among the many other issues discussed are diversity in the newsroom, star reporters, when reporting news may endanger national security (and who decides), embedded journalists, covering newsmakers who lie and declining newspaper circulation. “Free Speech” is an invaluable resource for aspiring journalists as well as for those who simply recognize journalism's important role and its potential for good. It is hard to imagine a better guide than Ben Bradlee for this primer on journalism, parts of its history, and a future that while replete with challenges, possesses still untapped potential to make positive contributions to society.
Free Speech: Jim Lehrer with Ben Bradlee airs
Monday, June 19 at 10 p.m.
Thursday, June 22 at 4 a.m.
Saturday, June 24 at midnight
on Eight/KAET.
