Bob Woodward Speaks at Eastern

Bob Woodward, Author

Geissler Gymnasium

March 12, 2013

Edmond Chibeau & Bob Woodward

Bob Woodward is best remembered for his investigative journalism with Carl Bernstein into the Watergate scandal that brought down the administration of Richard Nixon in 1974.  Woodward spoke at Eastern Connecticut State University tonight.    As well as his speech in Geissler he had dinner with a small group of students, professors, and administrators, and then spoke to a group of Communication, Political Science, and History students and student writers for the Campus Lantern newspaper.  Speaking to the newspaper students he asked them to think about, “What does the first Amendment mean?” and “What are newspapers for?”  He told the young journalists that, “You are the instrument of accountability.” 
Speaking of what he called “the cartoon-gate episode” that had recently been a topic of considerable controversy at the University, he said he was going to take a copy of the Campus Lantern student newspaper, “Back to Washington DC to show them that the first Amendment is alive an well in Connecticut.”


Speaking about TV news outlets he said that, “Fox is for the conservatives, MSNBC is for the liberals, and CNN is for the airport.” 



Introduced by Political Science professor William Salka, Mr. Woodward spoke to approximately one thousand people.  He drew parallels between the Nixon administration and administrations that came after.  Referring to the need for a free and open press he said that, “Democracy dies in darkness.” 
He went on to discuss the ways in which presidents make some of their decisions, and the methods used to try to keep those decisions, away from the voters and the press.  

Led off by a thoughtful question by Jordan Sakal, a communication student at Eastern, several students from of Eastern Connecticut State University, the University of Hartford and the University of Connecticut asked questions and received thoughtful replies from Woodward.  When asked about the future of the nation he responded with, “What I worry about most is secret government.” 


Woodward was witty, articulate, insightful and kind.  The audience was informed, entertained, and pleased with their opportunity to see one of the great journalists in American history.