The man known as Deep Throat who helped journalists Woodward and Bernstein nail Nixon has identified himself to Vanity Fair. He is ex-FBI assistant director, 91-year-old W. Mark Felt. Woodward and Bernstein have confirmed this in an official statement. [ABC News | Washington Post | The Age | Deep Throat Archive]
Don’t know what to say. This is one of those fundamental stories that made me want to be a journalist. The integrity of Woodward and Bernstein protecting their source. The story itself. The courage of the anonymous source and the way they got him to confirm the story. Oh. My. Word.
EDIT: I think one of the things that was important about this story for me was the idea that someone would take risks for something they knew was right in the face of a society filled with corruption. It was an act of immense braveness. It was the same braveness that David Kelly demonstrated and his betrayal by the British government and media and his subsequent ‘suicide’ is why protecting anonymous sources and those who dedicate themselves to uncovering slimeballs hiding in high places is vital. The person who blew the cover on Abu Ghraib. The guy who was the inspiration for that movie The Insider. These people make a difference. There aren’t enough of them.