Two-Time Pulitzer Prize-Winner Bob Woodward Joins MasterClass to Teach Investigative Journalism

The celebrated journalist will offer a class through online education platform MasterClass

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Nov 09, 2017, 10:00 ET

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Bob Woodward, the Pulitzer-Prize-winning investigative journalist and author of 18 national nonfiction bestsellers, will teach his first ever online class through premier online education platform MasterClass. As a global spotlight has surfaced on trust in news and truth in reporting, there has never been a more important time to examine the fundamentals of reporting, the role of journalism, and the critical checks and balances it provides. In his MasterClass, Woodward, one of the greatest reporters of all time, will teach the lessons he's learned during his 45-year career and the impact journalism can have. Pre-enrollment for Woodward's investigative journalism class begins today at www.masterclass.com/bw.

Bob Woodward is an associate editor of The Washington Post, where he has worked since 1971, and an adjunct professor at Yale where he teaches a journalism seminar in the Spring term. He earned two of the Washington Post's Pulitzer Prizes, the first in 1973 for uncovering the Watergate scandal with Carl Bernstein, and the second in 2003 as the lead reporter for coverage of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He has authored or coauthored 18 books, and twelve of them have been #1 national bestsellers. All the President's Men – Woodward's first book, coauthored with Carl Bernstein – was a 1976 movie with Robert Redford starring as Woodward.

In his MasterClass, Woodward will tap into his personal experiences to teach students what truth means, how to uncover it, and how to build a story with it. In the process, he'll teach students how to be more engaged citizens, journalists and writers. His lessons will focus on how to interact and interview, along with strategies and techniques for building confidence and trust. Through case studies, he will show how he has built trust with people at all levels, including presidents, CIA directors, intelligence operatives, FBI officials, senior and lower-level national security officials, top White House advisers, prosecutors, Supreme Court justices and their clerks, business leaders and members of the House and Senate and their aides. He will use transcripts of interviews he conducted with both Trump and Obama to demonstrate the power of listening and aggressive, patient, all-source inquiry.

"Everyone is a journalist. Every person is a gatherer of facts – testing and verifying them, assessing their quality and rendering judgements on truth and meaning, then communicating them to others. This is not just the life of reporters and writers but of everyone – scientists, business people, laborers, lawyers, public officials, consumers, and parents. It is the community in which we all live and fundamental to the checks and balances in society," said Bob Woodward, MasterClass instructor. "Everyone is a secret sharer in the First Amendment…this is the final exam for democracy."

"Bob Woodward is the best investigative journalist of our time. He helped uncover stories that changed our country's history, forever," said David Rogier, MasterClass CEO and Co-Founder. "He's brilliant, fair, aggressively non-partisan, and an amazing storyteller. There has never been a more important time for us to learn how to uncover the truth and a build a case -- to learn from his mastery."

MasterClass provides online classes from world-renowned instructors, making it possible for anyone to learn from the best. Each class offers a unique learning experience which includes video lessons from the instructor, interactive exercises, course materials, peer interaction, and more. All classes are available online for individual purchase at www.masterclass.com.

ABOUT MASTERCLASS
Established in 2015, the San Francisco-based company was founded on the idea that everyone should have "access to genius." The premier online education platform provides affordable, engaging, and inspirational online classes taught by world-renowned instructors, making it possible for anyone to learn from the best. Each class offers a unique learning experience which includes video lessons, interactive exercises, a series of course materials, peer interaction, and more. MasterClass' current roster of courses includes includes Christina Aguilera (singing), Usher (performance), Gordon Ramsay (cooking), Serena Williams (tennis), James Patterson (writing), Dustin Hoffman (acting), Werner Herzog (filmmaking), Aaron Sorkin (screenwriting), Reba McEntire (country music), Deadmau5 (music production), Hans Zimmer (film scoring), Shonda Rhimes (writing for television), Steve Martin (comedy), David Mamet (dramatic writing), and Jane Goodall (conservation). Most recently, the company announced pre-enrollment for Martin Scorsese (filmmaking), Frank Gehry (design and architecture), Diane von Furstenberg (how to build a fashion brand), Garry Kasparov (chess), Herbie Hancock (jazz), and Samuel L. Jackson (acting). For more information, please visit www.masterclass.com.