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Unlike that election, for this year’s presidential race, news media outlets are much more prepared for mayhem. Besides sharing the secrets to maintaining such excellence and integrity, Downie also reflected on fascinating stories such as the hectic Presidential Election of 2000. This hour-long discussion of journalistic principles and the rigor they require gave the audience an enlightening commentary from one of the field’s most quintessential figures. “Our aggressive coverage looks like liberal coverage to conservatives, and I wanted to make that clear that I was non-partisan,” said Downie. Part of his dedication to non-partisanship appeared through his decision to not vote in any election during his incumbency as executive editor. This focus on both the importance of the First Amendment as well as non-partisanship underlies Downie’s entire career’s work. “The government cannot decide what should and should not be broadcasted.” “I was just as aggressive with Democrats as I was with Republicans,” stated Downie. In support of the First Amendment, Downie explained that aggressive journalism depends on this ability to freely search for the truth in the face of wrathful opposition, but to hold leaders of the utmost power accountable. “Here’s a message to Donald Trump: Science can be objective,” he stressed, citing the current pandemic as a reason to accept this fact now more than ever.ĭownie’s condemning of Trump’s behavior towards the news media extended into criticism of his voters that echo these ideas and his supportive pundits whose reporting lacks journalistic legitimacy. “A lot of the reporting is much more sophisticated now about evaluating scientific studies, supporting findings or just presenting the reader as many facts as possible,” said Downie.ĭespite a firm disbelief of objectivity in journalism, Downie made one exception. One area where journalism has witnessed significant advances is in science. “Stories can be told much more vividly and reach much more of an audience.”ĭownie noted how current social movements such as #MeToo and Black Lives Matter have been made possible because of modern, aggressive journalism. “I believe the best journalism today is better than ever,” he declared. Though, this unpopularity does not stop Downie from trying to highlight the “essential role of the news media at a time when it’s being questioned.” He doesn’t think that polls displaying the news media’s decreasing popularity truly represent journalism’s current condition. “The news media was never popular,” he remarked.

His investigation for this story brought Downie into the Oval Office, but his eventually publicized story still garnered Downie great backlash both for being cowardly and for jeopardizing national security. “If we had published the names of those countries, I was convinced some of them would fall and other cooperation would cease” said Downie, referring to a report about secret prisons in eastern Europe during George W.

His aggressive journalism posited him in notable places, amongst prominent figures discussing momentous matters. In his 44 years at The Washington Post, Downie handled public demands from the Unabomber, dedicated years to investigating the Watergate scandal and helped trailblaze news media’s coverage of HIV/AIDS. The shift to digital media, the emergence of 24/7 news cycles and the rise of social media are some of the specific evolutions that Weistein referenced.ĭownie, who Xie called “one of the most revered news editors in the country,” certainly highlighted these changes. “He has seen and participated in evolutions within journalism.” Downie has decades of experience to inform his take on the role of media in our politics today,” noted Weinstein. The Zoom event was moderated by politics professor Aaron Weinstein, Ph. Former executive editor of The Washington Post, Leonard Downie Jr., spoke at a conversation titled “The Role of News in Our Democracy” on Wednesday, Oct.