In a secretly recorded conversation, then-President of the United States Richard Nixon was heard expressing frustration with the media -- specifically, the Washington Post.
“No reporter from the Washington Post is ever to be in the White House...” Nixon says forcefully on the audiotape. “Not even a photographer from there... or I’ll fire you.”
In December 1972, the president had had it with the nationally-renowned newspaper.
Why?
Nixon’s anger was already simmering when The Washington Post began publishing stories about the Pentagon Papers in June of 1971.
These documents detailed how the U.S. became involved in the controversial Vietnam War while Nixon was Commander-in-Chief.
A year later, the tension between the newspaper and the White House escalated as the Washington Post began reporting on Watergate, the break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters, which was ultimately tied to members of Nixon’s re-election campaign.
Making the tough decisions at the newspaper’s helm -- Washington Post President and CEO Katharine Graham, the first woman CEO of a Fortune 500 company.
In another of Nixon’s secretly recorded audiotapes, a Nixon aide remarked, “Shut her down... she’s such a b*tch,” reflecting the administration’s desire to silence Graham and her media outlets, including WJXT in Jacksonville, Florida. The TV stations significantly contributed to the Washington Post Company’s revenue.
Graham recalled the impact of these challenges.
“Our stock plummeted to about half of what it had been. It’s no question it was a real threat to the company,” Graham said.
Ultimately, it was the Watergate scandal that led to Nixon’s resignation, but Graham said that her focus was never to bring down a president.
Instead, her motivation was to uphold the core values of journalism: honesty, integrity, and doing the right thing.
She faced significant challenges, often being the only woman in the room.
“It was really tough. There wasn’t a woman within five layers of me when I went to work,” she recalled. “They couldn’t exactly prevent me from going to work.”
Graham often reflected on how she “accidentally” became head of the newspaper after her husband died by suicide due to manic depression. He had taken over the company from her father.
Suddenly faced with a choice to sell the newspaper or run it herself, she chose the latter.
“I certainly didn’t think I could, and it took years. I mean, I made every mistake in the book,” she admitted. “It took me about 20 years to get there, but it finally started to work.”
Under Graham’s leadership, the Washington Post Company navigated numerous conflicts, including a costly labor strike and the women’s liberation movement. Ironically, she often battled gender bias within her own boardroom.
Catherine Badalamente, the current president and CEO of what is now Graham Media Group, acknowledged the ongoing challenges women face in leadership roles and reflected on Graham’s journey.
“We all know that having diversity of thought is really important to a successful organization,” Badalamente explained. “It’s something that I continue to advocate for because I think that we make stronger companies by ensuring there are lots of diverse voices in the room.”
With Badalamente’s own rise through the ranks of the Graham news conglomerate, she emphasizes something else Graham also spoke often about: The importance of work-life balance.
WATCH: Becoming Katharine Graham on Prime Video
In a special Women’s History Month podcast conversation with News4JAX Anchor Joy Purdy, Badalamente also discusses a new documentary detailing Katharine Graham’s life experiences, and calls it a must-see for women of all ages.
