Ben Bradlee dead: He was a ‘true newspaperman’ – President Obama pays tribute to Watergate editor

Investigative reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein issued a joint statement praising their former editor as 'a true friend and genius leader in journalism'

Barack Obama awards Ben Bradlee with the Presidential Medal of Freedom (AP)

Ben Bradlee, one of the great American editors, made his reputation by demonstrating the power of newsprint to unseat US Presidents - and the current incumbent at the White House has led tributes to his remarkable life.

The journalist who, as editor of The Washington Post, oversaw the downfall of Richard Nixon in the Watergate Scandal was “a true newspaperman” said Barack Obama.

He “told stories that needed to be told - stories that helped us understand our world and one another a little better,” said the President. “The standard he set - a standard for honest, objective, meticulous reporting - encouraged so many others to enter the profession.”

Bradlee died at the age of 93. In All The President's Men, Hollywood's 1976 multi-Oscar winning treatment of how Post investigative reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein broke Watergate in 1972, he was played by Jason Robards.

Woodward and Bernstein issued a joint statement praising their former editor as “a true friend and genius leader in journalism”. They said: “His spirit has been an inspiration to generations of journalists, demonstrating what our profession can achieve when it is led with courage and an unwavering commitment to truth.”

Bradlee's other achievements included pushing for the publication of the Pentagon Papers, revealing the secrets of the Vietnam War.

The affection and admiration which he inspired among his fellow journalists was reflected in an outpouring of respect from lengthy obituaries to heartfelt reactions on Twitter.

“Ben Bradlee was a legend who inspired a whole generation of journalists with his guts and smarts. And a hell of a guy on top of it all,” tweeted the news anchor Katie Couric.

Lionel Barber, editor of the Financial Times, who met Bradlee as a young journalist, described his universal popularity among colleagues. “Everyone from the doorman to the proprietor called him Ben. He was dearly loved by all at the Washington Post. His enthusiasm was infectious, his personality irrepressible. He had charm, charisma and swagger.”

Bradlee was executive editor of the Post for 23 years until 1991 and made it into one of the most respected titles in America. When he stepped down the staff gathered in an emotional newsroom in striped shirts with white collars and cuffs, mimicking those the editor favoured from Turnbull & Asser in London. In 2013 he was given the Presidential Medal of Freedom, America's highest civilian honour.

“Newspapering deals with small daily bites from a fruit of indeterminate size,” wrote Bradlee in his description of the investigative journalism which led to Watergate. “It may take dozens of bites before you are sure it's an apple. Dozens and dozens more bites before you have any real idea how big the apple might be. It was that way with Watergate.”

It was “the story that put us all on the map”, he said.

“Ben Bradlee will live forever, immortalized for the courage he showed at one of America's darkest hours. RIP,” tweeted David Axelrod, a former advisor to Mr Obama who is now working with Labour leader Ed Miliband.

Ben Bradlee (centre) with Watergate journalists Carl Bernstein (left) and Bob Woodward (AP)

Crucial to his influence as an editor was his strong relationship with Katherine Graham, the Washington Post's formidable publisher.

The paper was recently purchased by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and its current editor Martin Baron said Bradlee had made “an indelible mark on history” and his influence at the Post continued. “We remain guided by the high standards he set in building one of the world's greatest newsrooms.”

David Carr, media writer for the New York Times, the Post's traditional rival, pointed out that Bradlee was such an inspirational editor that “people who worked for him would go through walls” to bring back the big stories. His extraordinary personality meant that he was more than just a journalistic bystander. “He went to war, loved early and often, befriended and took on presidents, swore like a sailor and partied like a movie star,” wrote Carr.

Bradlee was a close friend of American President John F Kennedy. He wrote two best-selling books and was a frequent pundit on American television.

In its own enormous obituary, the Post said farewell to the larger than life editor who made its name. “Mr Bradlee's patrician good looks, gravelly voice, profane vocabulary and zest for journalism and for life all contributed to the charismatic personality that dominated and shaped the Post,” it said. “Modern American newspaper editors rarely achieve much fame, but Mr Bradlee became a celebrity and loved the status.”