CARL BERNSTEIN: WHY TRUTH STILL MATTERS
Carl Bernstein: Why Truth Still Matters
In a conversation moderated by Alison Lebovitz
Fifty years ago, in 1972, Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward broke the Watergate story
for The Washington Post, leading to the resignation of President Richard Nixon. Their
work set the standard for modern investigative reporting and illustrates why truth
telling matters.
Carl Bernstein spoke on Southern Adventist University’s campus on December 1, 2022.
More than 1,500 students, employees, alumni, and community members attended the event.
Bernstein’s visit to the university inaugurated the School of Journalism and Communication’s
R. Lynn Sauls Endowed Lecture Series, which will be an annual event meant to “inspire
a new generation of truth seekers, storytellers, and influencers” by inviting prominent
journalists and communication professionals to campus. The series is named after Lynn
Sauls, ’52, PhD, former professor and dean of what is now the School of Journalism
and Communication.
Bernstein shared his views regarding truth and the role of journalism in society during
a conversational-style presentation moderated by local television personality Alison
Lebovitz. He described working for The Washington Evening Star as a teenager and covering
the civil rights movement and former President John F. Kennedy’s inauguration. He
also provided insight into how he and Bob Woodward exposed Nixon’s crimes as young
reporters in their late 20s working for The Washington Post.
Additionally, Bernstein offered advice to students, encouraging them to get a foot
in the door, listen well, avoid “manufactured controversy,” and not take themselves
too seriously. He stated that good journalists should aim to report “the best obtainable
version of the truth.”
“Carl Bernstein is one of the greatest investigative journalists our country has ever
seen,” said Amanda Blake, junior journalism major. “As an aspiring journalist, I felt
energized by his passion for truth. His advice on covering the context of a story—the
people, the real issues, the effects of legislation—inspired me to take my storytelling
to the next level, to not only inform people but to serve them as well.”
Read more in The Southern Accent.
About the Event
Fifty years ago, Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward broke the Watergate story for The Washington Post, leading to the resignation of President Richard Nixon. Their work set the standard for modern investigative reporting and illustrates why truth telling matters.
Join us at Southern Adventist University on December 1 at 7 p.m. in Iles P.E. Center for a riveting conversation between Bernstein and local television host Alison Lebovitz as they explore “Why Truth Still Matters.” Audience members will have the opportunity to submit questions for a live Q&A. This is the inaugural event in the R. Lynn Sauls Endowed Lecture Series, sponsored by Southern's School of Journalism and Communication.
Why Truth Still Matters
Iles P.E. Center, 4870 University Drive, Collegedale, TN 37315
07:00 PM-
RSVP
ABOUT CARL BERNSTEIN
Pulitzer Prize Winning Journalist, Author, and Political Analyst
Few journalists in America’s history have had the impact on their era and their craft as Carl Bernstein. For 40 years, from All the President’s Men to A Woman-In-Charge: The Life of Hillary Clinton, Bernstein’s books, reporting, and commentary have revealed the inner-workings of government, politics, and the hidden stories of Washington and its leaders.
In the early 1970s, Bernstein and Bob Woodward broke the Watergate story for The Washington Post, leading to the resignation of President Richard Nixon and setting the standard for modern investigative reporting, for which they and The Post were awarded the Pulitzer Prize.
Since then, Bernstein has continued to build on the theme he and Woodward first explored in the Nixon years—the use and abuse of power: political, media, financial, cultural, and spiritual power. Renowned as a prose stylist, he has also written a classic biography of Pope John Paul II, served as the founding editor of the first major political website, and been a rock music critic.
The author of many best-selling books, including All the President's Men, Bernstein has also worked on several multimedia projects, such as a memoir about growing up at a Washington newspaper, The Evening Star, during the Kennedy era. He is also an on-air contributor for CNN and a contributing editor of Vanity Fair magazine.
Bernstein was born and raised in Washington, DC, and began his journalism career at
age 16 as a copyboy for The Washington Evening Star, becoming a reporter at 19. He lives in New York with his wife and is the father
of two sons, one a journalist and the other a rock musician.
To learn more, visit carlbernstein.com.
Alison Goldstein Lebovitz is a television host, speaker, author, and podcaster who believes we each have the power and responsibility to make this world a better place. Lebovitz is the host of The A List with Alison Lebovitz, a half-hour original interview series for WTCI/PBS, and serves as co-founder and president of One Clip at a Time, a nonprofit inspired by the Paper Clips Project and documentary.
As a professional speaker, she combines her penchant for humor with her unique gift for storytelling and has been honored to serve as a TedX speaker, coach, and emcee. She is also the author of Am I There Yet? a collection of her candid essays and life-inspired stories, and in her spare time she hosts a weekly podcast with her sister called, Sis & Tell.
Media Sponsors
Southern Adventist University is grateful to our partners for supporting this event.
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Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist inspires Southern Adventist University students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members
About the Lecture Series
This annual lecture series celebrates Sauls’ legacy by inviting prominent journalists and top communication professionals to campus to inspire a new generation of truth seekers, storytellers, and influencers.