Table of Contents
Introduction
In the realm of journalism, words hold immense power. Journalists are the storytellers of our society, capturing moments, unveiling truths, and shaping our understanding of the world. The words they craft have the ability to inspire, challenge, and empower. In this article, we delve into the wisdom of 40 journalism icons, exploring their quotes that continue to resonate and motivate across generations.
The Power of Truth
Bob Woodward
“The central dilemma in journalism is that you don’t know what you don’t know.”
Christiane Amanpour
“Our job is not to be easy on people. Our job is to make them better.”
Walter Cronkite
“Objective journalism and an opinion column are about as similar as the Bible and Playboy magazine.”
Ida B. Wells
“The way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth upon them.”
Anderson Cooper
“I think being a journalist, I can’t really stand on a soapbox. You’re there to just give the facts.”
Advocating for Change
Edward R. Murrow
“We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty. We must remember always that accusation is not proof and that conviction depends upon evidence and due process of law.”
Nellie Bly
“Energy rightly applied and directed will accomplish anything.”
Gloria Steinem
“Writing is the only thing that when I do it, I don’t feel I should be doing something else.”
Hunter S. Thompson
“As things stand now, I am going to be a writer. I’m not sure that I’m going to be a good one or even a self-supporting one, but until the dark thumb of fate presses me to the dust and says, ‘you are nothing,’ I will be a writer.”
Unveiling Hidden Realities
Seymour Hersh
“The more you can increase fear of drugs and crime, welfare mothers, immigrants and aliens, the more you control all the people.”
Maggie Haberman
“In journalism, there’s a tradition of trying to see things for yourself.”
Helen Thomas
“We don’t go into journalism to be popular. It is our job to seek the truth and put constant pressure on our leaders until we get answers.”
Ernie Pyle
“A long time ago I learned not to explain things to people. It misleads them into thinking they’re entitled to know everything I do.”
The Pursuit of Knowledge
Carl Bernstein
“The lowest form of popular culture – lack of information, misinformation, disinformation, and a contempt for the truth or the reality of most people’s lives – has overrun real journalism. Today, ordinary Americans are being stuffed with garbage.”
Martha Gellhorn
“Nothing really worth doing is easy. The secret is to always be learning.”
Chris Hayes
“It’s not enough to just know. You have to ask why and how.”
David Remnick
“The best journalism is truly based on a human being understanding other human beings, understanding that the world is complicated and that people are complicated.”
Reflecting Society
Gay Talese
“The art of nonfiction is to show your characters as themselves, not to create them.”
19. Rachel Maddow
“I want to be honest about the world and the country we live in, and I want to be funny because too often political TV shows and magazine articles aren’t.”
George Orwell
“Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed: everything else is public relations.”
Shaping Public Discourse
Seymour Hersh
“The only way to deal with propaganda is to have more propaganda.”
Glenn Greenwald
“True patriotism can be discerned by one’s capacity to challenge the government and demand change when it fails the people.”
Barbara Walters
“No matter how tough it is, no matter how sad, no matter how tired, no matter how hurt – because there is always hope.”
David Halberstam
“The biggest single idea I had about reporting was it has to be accurate.”
Evoking Empathy
Christiane Amanpour
“Empathy is a tool of great journalism.”
Ida B. Wells
“One had better die fighting against injustice than die like a dog or a rat in a trap.”
Anderson Cooper
“Empathy is really the opposite of spiritual meanness. It’s the capacity to understand that every war is both won and lost.”
Martha Gellhorn
“In this century, there are those who still know the difference between right and wrong, between compassion and indifference, between courage and cowardice.”
Holding Power Accountable
Bob Woodward
“The truth emerges only with difficulty, and in the process, its shape and substance become mangled.”
Seymour Hersh
“I think that good reporters are often aggressive, and they’re not worried about what the consequences are for pursuing a good story.”
Edward R. Murrow
“A nation of sheep will beget a government of wolves.”
Glenn Greenwald
“If you are a journalist, you’re trying to give information that’s reliable and accurate. And the idea is to be as honest and fair as you can in giving information to people, so they can make their own judgments.”
Preserving Democracy
Walter Cronkite
“America’s health care system is neither healthy, caring, nor a system.”
Nellie Bly
“I said I could and I would. And I did.”
Barbara Walters
“Ask smart questions and never be afraid to look ignorant.”
Edward R. Murrow
“The obscure we see eventually. The completely obvious, it seems, takes longer.”
Adapting in a Changing Landscape
Chris Hayes
“Our job is to figure out what is going on, and explain it to people, and show how it connects to what we’re going through everyday.”
Maggie Haberman
“In the digital age, a lot of journalists talk to other journalists. That’s a problem.”
Carl Bernstein
“I don’t believe in objectivity. In human affairs, subjectivity is more honest and is more explanatory.”
David Remnick
“There is always a sense of the unknown in journalism; we don’t know, do we?”
Conclusion
The quotes of these journalism icons remind us that journalism is more than just a profession—it’s a responsibility to uphold truth, expose lies, and empower the public. As we reflect on their words of wisdom, we’re reminded of the vital role journalists play in shaping societies, challenging norms, and inspiring change. May these quotes continue to motivate and empower both aspiring journalists and the public at large, encouraging us all to seek the truth, embrace empathy, and contribute to a more informed and enlightened world.
