Anyone halfway familiar with history already knows the core facts. While his account doesnвЂ™t do much to shine new light on the historical record, he does provide critical insights on the real-time decisions made by those inside the media.ДownieвЂ™s affect is the same when discussing the PostвЂ™s Watergate coverage. In the former, he outlines the steps taken by the Post, the New York Times, and, later, other papers, to bring to light a document that the government preferred stay hidden, one which outlined several presidenciesвЂ™ worth of lies and misdirection.Дownie gives ample credit to all of the reporters involved, as well as to Post publisher Katharine Graham, who bravely challenged the prevailing niceties that allowed such lies to remain concealed from the public. Downie spends several chapters discussing both the Pentagon Papers and, of course, Watergate. This trend emerged most clearly during the Nixon Administration. It cannot be doubted that as forms of media have exploded during the last 50 years, their ability to impact the world has expanded, as well. On to the next dayвЂ™s news.ДownieвЂ™s main subject is the power of the media to create change.

He was married, work made it hard to stay married, so then he wasnвЂ™t married anymore.

He appears to share as much emotion about his divorces as he does when detailing his lunch. However, such journalistic distance is a bit jarring when Downie details his private life. This has the benefit of not distracting the reader with unnecessary emotion. Often, his vignettes are introduced with a form of вЂњIвЂ™m now going to tell you a story.вЂќ He shares his history in a simple manner, laying out the facts and the reactions of himself and others, never letting himself get too worked up. Such straightforward style also punctuates DownieвЂ™s writing. More often, he wears his background with pride (even in the bookвЂ™s author photo, Downie is tieless, in a simple plaid button-down shirt more likely purchased at J.C. Downie only occasionally lets any bitterness over such a sobriquet show. His education at Ohio State led him to be nicknamed вЂњLand Grant Len,вЂќ after the founding origin of that school. Unlike many blue-blood reporters who populated the Post, Downie came to his profession from a modest background. DownieвЂ™s tenure provided him with a front-row seat to some of the most significant events of the 20th century and a unique insight into journalistic morals and ethics. All About the Story is a tale told by the ultimate media insider, Len Downie, who served as executive editor of the Washington Post from 1991 to 2008, and whose relationship with the Post spanned over 40 years in various roles.

Len downie