Broadcasting live from his home office in Georgetown, D.C., Bob Woodward — one of the most renowned investigative journalists in American history — joined the INMA World Congress of News Media in New York City for a conversation on the state and importance of journalism.

Woodward, who was scheduled to present in person at the World Congress but moved the session to remote because of an injury, is best known for his groundbreaking reporting on the Watergate scandal alongside Carl Bernstein at The Washington Post.

Now 82, he has spent more than half a century chronicling U.S. presidents and the mechanics of power. 

Woodward addressed an audience from 43 countries on the first day of the World Congress, sharing reflections from his career to highlight why telling the truth, listening closely, and holding power to account still matters.

“I think it’s a wonderful time to be in journalism,” Woodward said. “In journalism, you get to make momentary entries into people’s lives when they’re interesting ... [then] you move on, because there is always a new story to cover.”

Woodward said that in his lifetime, he has reported on three major crises: the Vietnam War, Watergate, and the rise — and return — of Donald Trump.

He emphasised that Trump remains today’s defining story. Reflecting on an early 2016 interview, Woodward recalled Trump saying, “Real power is fear.” That line, he said, was not just rhetoric — it’s now a tactic.

“It is a campaign of fear against the law firms, against the opposition, against the press, against everyone,” Woodward said. “Trump is taking that technique of scaring people and fear and directing that at any potential enemy or adversary.”

Woodward revisited his reporting on the Nixon presidency and Watergate, reflecting on how deeply ingrained anti-press sentiment was even then.

He quoted one of President Richard Nixon’s infamous secret Oval Office tapes from December 1972: “Remember, we’re going to be around and outlive our enemies. And also never forget: The press is the enemy. The press is the enemy. The press is the enemy.”

Freedom of press may be under siege, but that is not a sign to stop. Woodward emphasised that journalists must resist the intimidation and instead double down on rigorous reporting: Talk to as many people as possible — not two or three.

“I think in journalism we need to — I’ll be very direct here — up our game, raise our standards, talk to more people,” he said. It matters to be more “aggressive in the asking of questions and aggressive in the listening.”

The kitchen table and global stakes

Beyond Washington politics, Woodward urged reporters to focus on stories that hit home. 

“We need to be more aggressive in making contact with the real world — reporting on kitchen table issues,” he said.

He criticised how news organisations often chase novelty rather than depth.

“Sometimes what’s really important is old,” he said. Reporters “start reporting on the incremental events and get away from the more serious aspects of journalism.”

Instead, he encouraged a return to the story beneath the noise.

He shared a previously unreported example from his book War, describing a 2020 phone call between Trump and Vladimir Putin in which Trump secretly gave Putin valuable COVID test machines. Woodward said Putin warned Trump not to tell anyone:

“Please don’t tell anybody ... . People will get mad at you. They don’t care about me.”

When Trump denied the story, the Kremlin confirmed it — an astounding turn of events.

“Our job is more important than ever,” Woodward said.

Journalism in the age of AI and declining trust

INMA audience questions touched on media trust, editorialisation, and the challenges of reporting in a digital, AI-saturated world.

“Trust is all about results, products,” Woodward replied. “Make the stories. Talk to 16 people. Nail it down.”

He acknowledged the growing role of Artificial Intelligence in journalism but warned that it could also derail reporters if they lean too much on speed over substance. 

“If you want to take the patience factor out of journalism and operate on this high speed of what’s the latest … sometimes I think you wind up misleading your readers or your viewers,” he said.

Asked about separating opinion from reporting, he said editorialising is acceptable — but only if labeled clearly. 

“It just needs to be identified as ‘this is my opinion’ or ‘this is my conclusion,’ ‘this is my judgment’,” he added.

Future moves

Woodward revealed he’s working on a memoir, potentially naming previously confidential sources, many of whom are now deceased. 

He ended his remarks by quoting Katharine Graham, the late publisher of The Washington Post, who, after his groundbreaking reporting on Nixon had an impact, once warned him: “Now don’t start thinking too highly of yourself … beware the demon pomposity.”

Woodward pointed to that as a reminder of the humility the profession demands.

“There is too much pomposity in the media, in politics, in the country, and in the world,” he said. “And if you’re looking for the embodiment of it, you have to go no further than Donald Trump.”

Photos by Robert Downs Photography.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .