Everyone finds justification for his or her views in logic and analysis, but a personal philosophy often emerges from some archaic part of the mind, an early idea of how the world should be.
George PackerRead
Surrendering to jargon is a sign of journalism's dismal lack of self-confidence in the optimized age of content-management systems.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote critiques the tendency of journalists to rely on jargon, suggesting it reflects insecurity in a digitized media landscape.
George Packer's quote highlights a concern within journalism regarding the excessive use of jargon, implying that such language signifies a deeper issue of self-doubt among journalists, particularly in an age dominated by technology and content-management systems. By surrendering to complex terminology, journalists may distance themselves from clarity and accessibility, ultimately undermining their own role in imparting knowledge and informing the public.
Themes
JournalismJargonCommunicationTechnologyContent-Management
In practice
Example use cases
In a workshop on effective communication, one could quote this to emphasize the importance of clear language.
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Abstract sympathy with the working class as an economic entity is easy, but the feeling can vanish on contact with actual members of the group, who often arrive with disturbing beliefs and powerful resentments - who might not sound or look like people urban progressives want to know.
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