Woman at the Washington post

Katherine Graham , publisher and owner of the newspaper Washington Post , died. This name is in gold letters in the history of American journalism.

“The capital and the whole country mourn today the loss of the beloved first lady of American journalism,” says President Bush. “Ms. Graham has become a legend during life, because it was a real leader and a real lady: iron, but also shy, powerful, but also modest, known for its honesty, always amiable and generous to others.”

The mayor of Washington Anthony Williams ordered to lower the flags at the capital's state institutions as a sign of mourning.

Katherine Graham inherited her case from the husband of Philip Graham. The bankrupt newspaper Washington Post in 1933 was bought at auction by her father Eugene Meyer, an Elsa Jewish-immigrant, about whom John Pirpont Morgan once said: "Watch this small one, and not the case will end with the fact that he will take possession of all the money on Wall Street." Six years later, Katherine Meyer met with young lawyer Philip Graham and became his wife. The head of the company, whose son by that time had become a doctor, offered to transfer the matter to his son -in -law, and he agreed. In 1961, Newsweek weekly was added to the company, then two television stations. In 1963, Philip Graham, suffering from severe depression, committed suicide, and his widow stood at the helm. Seven years ago, she lost the post of chairman of the board of directors to her son Donald.

It was under her leadership that the Washington Post became a world -class newspaper and one of the two main newspapers of America. This was facilitated by two decisions adopted by Ms. Graham: on the publication of the dossier known as the Pentagon's Documents and the Journalistic Investigation of the Watergate Scandal .

In the first case, the newspaper challenged the secrecy regime, in which the decisions were made for the country, but reached much more: the US Supreme Court recognized the executive attempts to put a muzzle on the press, even if the authorities were guided by its understanding of national interests. The first national interest, the court ruled, is to provide citizens with freedom of speech and the right to information.

Watergate Bob Woodwordo and Karl Bernstine remains an unsurpassed example of a journalistic investigation that has achieved the maximum possible effect - early forced resignation of the president. Catherine Graham's perspicacity worked unmistakably. After all, the Watergagic business began with trifles and spun over the years, during which time Richard Nixon was elected for a second term, but the reporters did not stray from the trail and still overtook the victim. At the height of the scandal, Nixon complained to the Soviet ambassador Dobrynin that with the help of publications in Post, American Jews revenge him for his policy in the Middle East. The President found out whether it was possible to arrange so that Post changed the owner, but the advisers only shrugged.

Together with popularity, financial success came to the newspaper. Over the three decades of Katherine Graham, the company's income has grown by 20 times, its shares began to be quoted on the New York Stock Exchange. In 1997, for the book of her memoirs "Personal Story", she received the Pulitzer Prize. The most powerful people of this world were revered for honor to be guests of her house in Georgetown. Lindon Johnson and Ronald Reagan, French President Zhiskar d'Esten, Federal Chancellor of Germany Willy Brandt, British Prime Minister Edward Hit, Princess Diana Wales, considered their personal friend to Katherine Graham. Nancy Reagan said about her simply: "Washington will not be the same without her."

Katherine Graham was 84 years old. The cause of her death was the head injury, obtained in case of accidental falling on the street. This happened in the city of San Valley, Idaho, where Ms. Graham came to a business conference.

At one time, Eugene Meyer paid 825 thousand dollars for Post. Last year, The Washington Post Co. amounted to 2.4 billion. The company remains in the hands of the Graham family, which controls all the shares of class A, giving the right to elect 70 percent of members of the board of directors. 30.8 percent of these shares personally belonged to Katherine Graham. Her last will has not yet been announced, but experts are considered extremely unlikely that the family will give up someone control over the company. In the news of the death of the owner, the stock of shares jumped by almost 5 percent. But serious analysts are sure that Washington Post will remain a family business.

Washington Post: Katharine Graham Remembered

The Post and Watergate

Supreme Court of the United States and freedom of speech (Herly Grani.ru)

USA: domestic politics (dossier faces)