Few journalists in America's history have had the impact of Carl Bernstein. From breaking the story of Watergate, with Bob Woodward, for the Washington Post in the early 1970s he has revealed, as a journalist and author, the inner-workings of government, politics, and the hidden stories of Washington and its leaders.
The Watergate revelations led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon and set the standard for modern investigative reporting, for which Bernstein and Woodward were awarded the Pulitzer Prize.
Since then, Bernstein has continued to build on the theme he and Woodward first explored in the Nixon years the use and abuse of power: political, media, financial, cultural and spiritual. He has also written a classic biography of Pope John Paul II, served as the founding editor of the first major political website, and been a rock critic.
As a keynote speaker Carl Bernstein addresses the increasing dysfunction of America's governmental institutions and its devolving political-media culture. His presentation is analytical but accompanied by rapier wit and constructive ideas, and filled with good humour and acute examination.
The author of five best-selling books, Carl Bernstein currently multi-media projects include: a TV drama series about the United States Congress; a feature film with director Steven Soderbergh; and a memoir about growing up at a Washington newspaper during the Kennedy era. He also appears regularly on MSNBC's Morning Joe, is a contributing editor of Vanity Fair magazine, and has been an on-air political analyst for CNN.
His most recent book was the national bestseller A Woman In Charge: The Life of Hillary Rodham Clinton, acclaimed as the definitive biography of its subject, published by Knopf.
Bernstein's journalism continues to combine reporting and literary skill - from The Ballad of John McCain, a portrait of the presidential candidate in Vanity Fair magazine, to ground-breaking Newsweek/Daily Beast commentaries in 2011 about the influence of Rupert Murdoch on the politics, journalism and popular culture of three continents.
Since his famous essay, The Triumph of Idiot Culture, a 1992 cover story for The New Republic about increasing sensationalism, gossip and manufactured controversy as staples of the American press, he has proved a prescient critic of his own profession.
He wrote two classic bestsellers with Bob Woodward, 'All the President's Men' (made into a film starring Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman) about their coverage of the Watergate story; and 'The Final Days' about the denouement of the Nixon presidency.
His other books include his family's experience in the McCarthy era 'Loyalties: A Son's Memoir' and he co-authored the definitive papal biography 'His Holiness: John Paul II and the History of Our Time'.
IN 1977-8 he investigated the CIA's secret relationship with the American press during the Cold War which was published in Rolling Stone.
Born and raised in Washington, DC he began his journalism career at age 16 as a copyboy for The Washington Evening Star, becoming a reporter at 19.
He lives in New York with his wife and is the father of two sons, one a journalist and the other a rock musician.