Journalists who swallow the subject's account whole and publish it are not journalists but publicists.
Janet MalcolmRead
The journalistic 'I' is an overreliable narrator, a functionary to whom crucial tasks of narration and argument and tone have been entrusted, an ad hoc creation, like the chorus of Greek tragedy. He is an emblematic figure, an embodiment of the idea of the dispassionate observer of life.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The journalistic 'I' serves as a detached observer, embodying neutrality in storytelling.
Janet Malcolm's quote highlights the role of the journalist as a constructed narrator, who plays a crucial part in narrating and framing stories without personal bias. This 'I' represents not just an individual but an ideal of dispassionate observation, much like a chorus in Greek tragedy, suggesting that storytelling in journalism is both a craft and a performance where objectivity is paramount.
Themes
JournalismObserverNarrativeNeutralityDispassionate
In practice
Example use cases
In a lecture on media ethics, one might use this quote to discuss the responsibilities of journalists.
More from Janet Malcolm
All quotes βSimilar quotes
People are looking for something a little more stable; people are feeling like they need to get closer to God.
Dolly PartonRead
I'll be darned!" said Douglas. "I never thought of that. That's brilliant! It's true. Old people never were children!" "And it's kind of sad," said Tom, sitting still."There's nothing we can do to help them.
Ray BradburyRead
Liberty and good government do not exclude each other; and there are excellent reasons why they should go together. Liberty is not a means to a higher political end. It is itself the highest political end.
Lord ActonRead
Science, philosophy and religion are bound to converge as they draw nearer to the whole.
Pierre Teilhard De ChardinRead
In adultery, there is usually tenderness and self-sacrifice; in murder, courage; in profanation and blasphemy, a certain satanic splendour. Judas elected those offences unvisited by any virtues: abuse of confidence and informing.
Jorge Luis BorgesRead
Communism is inequality, but not as property is. Property is exploitation of the weak by the strong. Communism is exploitation of the strong by the weak.
Pierre-Joseph ProudhonRead