At the fulcrum of history: Katharine Graham on On the Media
Watergate. The Pentagon Papers. The Washington Post and its trailblazing publisher Katharine Graham were key players in uncovering these history-shaping stories.
Graham recalled her courageous stands during a February 9, 1997 On the Media interview, describing the background behind some of the stories that shook the nation. A self-described “doormat wife”, Graham took over leadership of the paper after her husband committed suicide in 1963 and led it as it became a nationally recognized paper of record.1 Her role in the Pentagon Papers conflict was depicted in Steven Spielberg’s 2017 film The Post, which earned Meryl Streep an Academy Award nomination for her portrayal of Graham.2
Graham was also the force behind young reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein and executive editor Ben Bradlee in their pursuit of the Watergate break-in story that led to the resignation of Richard Nixon.1 During cases like these, she put herself at great risk of losing the paper and her freedom in pursuit of the truth.
Graham was with On the Media for the publication of her brutally honest autobiography Personal History and discussed her decisions during the Pentagon Papers and Watergate periods, as well as how, during her years at the helm, she led The Washington Post to become a well respected source for groundbreaking reporting.
1 "Katharine Graham". The New York Times, 2001, July 18, A22.
2 Morgan, David. Oscars 2018: Best Actress nominees. CBS News, 2018, March 4.
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