Carl Bernstein came from a non-traditional background and represented the influence of 1960s counterculture on the Post newsroom. He was hired at the Washington Star as a copy boy when he was 16. At 19 Bernstein joined his college newspaper, but he dropped out before completing his degree. He was hired by the Post when he was just 22 and had done a wide variety of reporting. Bernstein’s main focus was on covering the counterculture: He wrote reviews of rock music, winding stories about various people and places around Washington, DC, and a few investigations into city politics. Unlike Bob Woodward, who retained a clean haircut and was meticulous in his habits, Bernstein was the vision of the new man. He wore his hair long, he had a cool, disinterested attitude, and his desk was a mess. Bernstein was also an articulate writer and a dedicated reporter who excelled at convincing people to share information with the reporters. He was 28 at the time of the first Watergate story (9).

At the time of the scandal, Bernstein saw himself as a dedicated Democrat, but one who had lost enthusiasm after the 1968 election. He was also the first to suggest that Richard Nixon might be involved in the scandal.