President Obama Remembers Washington Post Legend Ben Bradlee Upon His Death

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Washington Post legend and Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient Benjamin Bradlee died today at the age of 93. He was top editor of the Washington Post from 1968 to 1991, and is known for his steerage of the paper during the Nixon administration when it published the Pentagon Papers and his reporters shocked the world with Watergate.

President Obama, who honored Bradlee with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013, issued the following statement in memory of the legendary journalist:

“For Benjamin Bradlee, journalism was more than a profession – it was a public good vital to our democracy. A true newspaperman, he transformed the Washington Post into one of the country’s finest newspapers, and with him at the helm, a growing army of reporters published the Pentagon Papers, exposed Watergate, and told stories that needed to be told – stories that helped us understand our world and one another a little bit better. The standard he set – a standard for honest, objective, meticulous reporting – encouraged so many others to enter the profession. And that standard is why, last year, I was proud to honor Ben with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Today, we offer our thoughts and prayers to Ben’s family, and all who were fortunate to share in what truly was a good life.”

Image: MANDEL NGAN/Getty Images