Bob Woodward's recent actions bring a whole new meaning to the title, "All the President's Men."
The veteran newsman for the Washington Post, who joined with Post reporter Carl Bernstein in investigating the Watergate coverup in the 1970s that brought down former President Richard Nixon, has gone from seeker of truth to concealer of truth.
Woodward revealed last week he testified under oath to special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald that a senior Bush administration official told him in mid-June 2003 about CIA operative Valerie Plame's position at the agency. Woodward was working on a new book at the time.
The problem is Woodward had withheld this vital information from his own editors and has spent months critical of Fitzgerald's investigation without disclosing his own involvement - both ethical and professional blunders one would never imagine from a reporter with Woodward's experience and expertise.
Woodward's actions (and inactions) add another black mark against a profession that's had more than its share of ethical and professional problems in recent years. The fact Woodward is one of the most well- known investigative reporters in the country just adds fuel to an already smoldering fire.
Since Watergate, Woodward has been viewed as a watchdog of government, a tenacious reporter insistent on the public's right to know what the rich and powerful are doing. It appears now Woodward has switched sides and became part of the Washington elite he once challenged.
The Post ombudsman Deborah Howell said the newspaper took a "hit to its credibility" and called for more oversight of work done by Woodward, now listed as an assistant managing editor at the Post.
"He has to operate under the rules that govern the rest of the staff - even if he's rich and famous," Howell wrote of Woodward. Howell said Woodward committed a "deeply serious sin" by keeping Post Executive Editor Leonard Downie in the dark about his source for more than two years.
"He also committed another journalistic sin - commenting on National Public Radio and (CNN's) "Larry King Live" about the Plame investigation without disclosing his early knowledge of Plame's identity," Howell wrote.
Given these new facts about Woodward, and the disclosure issues that cost Judy Miller her job at The New York Times,it's becoming clear the media's love for scandals may have to include a few media members themselves in the mix.
