I don't think there will ever be a permanent truce, but I believe the media needs to be more careful and be willing to count to 10 before rushing on the air or into print.
Bob WoodwardRead
If information is true, if it can be verified, and if it's really important, the newspaper needs to be willing to take the risk associated with using unidentified sources.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes the responsibility of newspapers to prioritize truth and significance, even when sourcing information is risky.
Bob Woodward highlights the crucial role of newspapers in reporting information that is not only true and verifiable but also significant to the public. He argues that even when there are risks involved, particularly with unidentified sources, the pursuit of important truths should guide journalistic practices. This reflects a commitment to ethical journalism where the welfare of society takes precedence over potential challenges.
Themes
TruthJournalismRiskInformationSources
In practice
Example use cases
During a panel discussion on press ethics, this quote could be used to emphasize the necessity of reporting the truth.
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I'm not going to name some of my colleagues who are very well-known for their television presentation, but they wouldn't know new information or how to report a story if it came up and bit them.
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When I was trained as a journalist, as a race-relations reporter in Nashville covering the end of the civil-rights movement, we were strictly forbidden to use the first-person pronoun. There was kind of an electric charge around it. To come out from hiding and use the word 'I' carried a lot of fright for me.
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