I was lucky enough to be working at The Washington Post in 2005 when the identity of Deep Throat was revealed. I remembered at the time thinking what a relief it was for The Post to finally have it out there — now we could focus on the future.
But 10 years later I find myself doing something I once criticized journalism students for doing — being nostalgic for something I never really knew. If given the choice between working at Facebook in 2015 and The Washington Post in 1975, I’d choose the later.
At the same time, if the choice were between Facebook 2015 and The Washington Post 2015, I’d probably go for Facebook.
The future of journalism is forcing us to think about technology and economics, which is not just healthy but exciting. But those topics can dull our sense for holding powerful people accountable, shining light in dark places and explaining an increasingly complex and interconnected world.
Here’s my interview with Ben Bradlee from 2005.