Harry M. Rosenfeld
Encyclopedia
Harry M. Rosenfeld is an American newspaper
editor
who was the editor in charge of local news at The Washington Post
during the Watergate scandal
. He oversaw the newspaper's coverage of Watergate and resisted efforts by the paper's national reporters to take over the story. Though Post editor-in-chief Benjamin C. Bradlee
gets most of the credit, managing editor Howard Simons
and Rosenfeld worked most closely with reporters Bob Woodward
and Carl Bernstein
on developing the story.
Rosenfeld was born in Berlin
but his family fled Nazi
Germany
when he was ten. The family settled in The Bronx
, New York City
and Rosenfeld learned to speak English devoid of an accent. After graduating from Syracuse University
, Rosenfeld was hired as an editor at New York Herald-Tribune When it ceased publication circa 1967, Rosenfeld went to the Post.
Rosenfeld originally served as night foreign editor. When he moved to the metropolitan desk, he hired Woodward, who had just been discharged from the United States Navy
and had no experience in journalism, on a three-week trial in August 1970. When the trial was up, Woodward had written seventeen stories, not one of which was deemed publishable. Rosenfeld told Woodward to get some experience elsewhere and come back in a year. Woodward frequently scooped the Post at his new paper, the Montgomery County
Sentinel, in the Washington suburbs, and kept phoning Rosenfeld for a job. Rosenfeld hired him, starting September 15, 1971.
Washington Post publisher Katharine Graham
in her memoirs describes him as "an old-style, tough, picturesque editor, and another real hero of Watergate for us. From the outset, he thought of the story as a very big local one, seeing it as something on which the Post's local staff could distinguish itself. He controlled the story before it regularly made page one of the paper, keeping it going on the front page of the metro section." Rosenfeld's control produced, in his words, "the longest-running newspaper stories with the least amount of errors that I have ever experienced or will ever experience."
Woodward and Bernstein in their account of the Watergate investigation, All the President's Men, wrote Rosenfeld was "like a football coach. He prods his players . . . pleading, yelling, cajoling."
In 1978, Rosenfeld moved to Albany, New York
and became editor of the Times Union and the now-defunct Knickerbocker News. He retired in 1996, becoming the Times Unions editor-at-large. Rosenfeld writes a weekly column for that paper which is published by other papers in the Hearst
chain. He resides in Albany with his wife.
In the 1976
film All the President's Men
, Rosenfeld was played by Jack Warden
.
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
editor
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
who was the editor in charge of local news at The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
during the Watergate scandal
Watergate scandal
The Watergate scandal was a political scandal during the 1970s in the United States resulting from the break-in of the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C., and the Nixon administration's attempted cover-up of its involvement...
. He oversaw the newspaper's coverage of Watergate and resisted efforts by the paper's national reporters to take over the story. Though Post editor-in-chief Benjamin C. Bradlee
Benjamin C. Bradlee
Benjamin Crowninshield Bradlee is a vice president at-large of The Washington Post. As executive editor of the Post from 1968 to 1991, he became a national figure during the presidency of Richard Nixon, when he challenged the federal government over the right to publish the Pentagon Papers and...
gets most of the credit, managing editor Howard Simons
Howard Simons
Howard Simons was the managing editor of the Washington Post at the time of the Watergate scandal, and later curator of the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University....
and Rosenfeld worked most closely with reporters Bob Woodward
Bob Woodward
Robert Upshur Woodward is an American investigative journalist and non-fiction author. He has worked for The Washington Post since 1971 as a reporter, and is currently an associate editor of the Post....
and Carl Bernstein
Carl Bernstein
Carl Bernstein is an American investigative journalist who, at The Washington Post, teamed up with Bob Woodward; the two did the majority of the most important news reporting on the Watergate scandal. These scandals led to numerous government investigations, the indictment of a vast number of...
on developing the story.
Rosenfeld was born in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
but his family fled Nazi
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
when he was ten. The family settled in The Bronx
The Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and Rosenfeld learned to speak English devoid of an accent. After graduating from Syracuse University
Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
, Rosenfeld was hired as an editor at New York Herald-Tribune When it ceased publication circa 1967, Rosenfeld went to the Post.
Rosenfeld originally served as night foreign editor. When he moved to the metropolitan desk, he hired Woodward, who had just been discharged from the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
and had no experience in journalism, on a three-week trial in August 1970. When the trial was up, Woodward had written seventeen stories, not one of which was deemed publishable. Rosenfeld told Woodward to get some experience elsewhere and come back in a year. Woodward frequently scooped the Post at his new paper, the Montgomery County
Montgomery County, Maryland
Montgomery County is a county in the U.S. state of Maryland, situated just to the north of Washington, D.C., and southwest of the city of Baltimore. It is one of the most affluent counties in the United States, and has the highest percentage of residents over 25 years of age who hold post-graduate...
Sentinel, in the Washington suburbs, and kept phoning Rosenfeld for a job. Rosenfeld hired him, starting September 15, 1971.
Washington Post publisher Katharine Graham
Katharine Graham
Katharine Meyer Graham was an American publisher. She led her family's newspaper, The Washington Post, for more than two decades, overseeing its most famous period, the Watergate coverage that eventually led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon...
in her memoirs describes him as "an old-style, tough, picturesque editor, and another real hero of Watergate for us. From the outset, he thought of the story as a very big local one, seeing it as something on which the Post's local staff could distinguish itself. He controlled the story before it regularly made page one of the paper, keeping it going on the front page of the metro section." Rosenfeld's control produced, in his words, "the longest-running newspaper stories with the least amount of errors that I have ever experienced or will ever experience."
Woodward and Bernstein in their account of the Watergate investigation, All the President's Men, wrote Rosenfeld was "like a football coach. He prods his players . . . pleading, yelling, cajoling."
In 1978, Rosenfeld moved to Albany, New York
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
and became editor of the Times Union and the now-defunct Knickerbocker News. He retired in 1996, becoming the Times Unions editor-at-large. Rosenfeld writes a weekly column for that paper which is published by other papers in the Hearst
Hearst
Hearst may refer to:People* Amanda Hearst* Garrison Hearst, NFL running back* George Hearst* George Randolph Hearst, Jr.* Hunter Hearst Helmsley, WWE professional wrestler* John Randolph Hearst* Lydia Hearst-Shaw* Michael Hearst* Millicent Hearst...
chain. He resides in Albany with his wife.
In the 1976
1976 in film
The year 1976 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*March 22 - Filming begins on George Lucas' Star Wars science fiction film...
film All the President's Men
All the President's Men (film)
All the President's Men is a 1976 Academy Award-winning political thriller film based on the 1974 non-fiction book of the same name by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, the two journalists investigating the Watergate scandal for The Washington Post...
, Rosenfeld was played by Jack Warden
Jack Warden
Jack Warden was an American character actor.-Early life:Warden was born John Warden Lebzelter in Newark, New Jersey, the son of Laura M. and John Warden Lebzelter, who was an engineer and technician. He was of Irish and Pennsylvania Dutch ancestry...
.