67 Quotes by Ben Bradlee

Those [Watergate] tapes are going to take me to my grave with a huge smile on my face..

Sure, some journalists use anonymous sources just because they’re lazy, and I think editors ought to insist on more precise identification even if they remain anonymous.

As a child, one looks for compliments. As an adult, one looks for evidence of effectiveness.

Sometimes I am convinced there is nothing wrong with this country that couldn't be cured by the magical implantation of ethical standards on us all - leaders and followers. Until that becomes doable, the Center for Public Integrity is just about the best thing we have going for us.

It's very hard to stand up to the government which is saying that publication will threaten national security. People don't seem to realize that reporters and editors know something about national security and care deeply about it.

There will always be leaks; in Washington, everywhere.

News is the first draft of history.

Hire people smarter than you are and encourage them to bloom.

I don’t want to disappoint too many people, but the number of interesting political, historical conversations we had, you could stick in your ear, it wasn't that many. We talked about friends, family and of course girls.