There's never any time I think I'm a real journalist, because I don't have any of the qualifications or the intentions for that.
John OliverRead
The British media is sinking down, as the American news media has lowered the bar for all of humanity. British news media is definitely trying to stoop down to that level. Everyone is stooping to the lowest common denominator.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote critiques the decline in journalistic standards across media platforms.
In this quote, John Oliver expresses concern over the declining standards in journalism, particularly highlighting how the American news media has set a low benchmark that British media feels compelled to follow. He emphasizes a broader trend where media organizations prioritize sensationalism and shallow reporting, ultimately degrading the quality of information available to the audience.
Themes
MediaJournalismStandardsNewsSensationalism
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be used in a discussion about the quality of news coverage in modern journalism.
More from John Oliver
All quotes →Australia turns out to be a sensational place, albeit one of the most comfortably racist places I've ever been in. They've really settled into their intolerance like an old resentful slipper.
John OliverRead
I watch one news channel until my soul can't take it anymore. It's the background of my life.
John OliverRead
My first 'Daily Show' piece was pretending I had this terrible immigrant journey, so I went to talk to an immigration lawyer who would help out people, and I ran into him in Penn Station about three months after I'd gotten the green card. I said, 'I got my green card yesterday.' And he hugged me because he understood that level of relief.
John OliverRead
Southern people are bigger-hearted and kinder than I had any right to expect.
John OliverRead
When you've married someone who's been at war, there is nothing you can do that compares to that level of selflessness and bravery.
John OliverRead
Similar quotes
There's plenty to criticize about the mass media, but they are the source of regular information about a wide range of topics. You can't duplicate that on blogs.
Noam ChomskyRead
I think television's become a downright dangerous thing. It has no moral barometer whatsoever. If you want to talk about something that is all about money, just watch the television.
Tom PettyRead
The news as entertainment is the real danger, because the truth or accuracy of what it is reporting becomes irrelevant.
Ryan HolidayRead
The reality is that the media are probably the most powerful of all our institutions today and they, or rather we [journalists], too often are squandering our power and ignoring our obligations. The consequence of our abdication of responsibility is the ugly spectacle of idiot culture!
Carl BernsteinRead
The reporting of news has to be understood as propaganda for commodities, and events by images.
Christopher LaschRead
As CNN saw our growth in African-American viewership, they affirmed a fundamental truth of news coverage - people will watch you if they see themselves in what you report. It doesn't hurt if the people doing the reporting look like them, too.
Soledad O'BrienRead