Kenneth Dahlberg’s role in Watergate

SHOWCASE | October 11, 2011
 
Dahlberg died Oct. 4th at age 94; his name will be prominent as long as people follow the Watergate story. Here Barry Sussman, who was the Washington Post’s Watergate editor, explains why.

By Barry Sussman
bsussman@niemanwatchdog.org

Obituaries of Kenneth Dahlberg, who died at age 94 on Oct. 4th, pointed out that he unwittingly played a key role in the unraveling of Richard Nixon’s Watergate scandal coverup. That’s an understatement. The “Dahlberg check” story was the single most important contribution the Washington Post made in its two years of Watergate coverage.

For reporters and editors, the Dahlberg story is still relevant; it shows that good reporting by a small group, at not much expense, can change the course of events. For Watergate junkies – and there still are some – the Dahlberg check details will forever be juicy.