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
Newspapers that are truly independent, like The Washington Post, can still aggressively investigate anyone or anything with no holds barred.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the importance of independent journalism in holding power accountable without restrictions.
Bob Woodward highlights the critical role of independent newspapers, such as The Washington Post, in conducting fearless investigations. This independence allows them to scrutinize individuals and institutions rigorously, ensuring that the truth prevails and that the public remains informed without bias or censorship.
Themes
IndependenceJournalismInvestigationTransparencyAccountability
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be cited in a speech about the importance of press freedom.
More from Bob Woodward
All quotes βThere's hostility to lying, and there should be.
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The legislator learns that when you talk a lot, you get in trouble. You have to listen a lot to make deals.
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The central dilemma in journalism is that you don't know what you don't know.
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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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Using these unnamed sources, if done properly, carefully and fairly, provides more accountability in government.
Bob WoodwardRead
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Whenever you're reporting, there's always something you can't say or write, but the questions, you always want to get as close to that line as possible. You want to ask the tough questions.
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People really in the meat grinder of the front lines are not, for the most part, insured or salaried network correspondents. They're young freelancers. They're kind of a cheap date for the news industry.
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As a journalist, I know what it is like to incur the self-righteous wrath of people who denounce you for things you didn't say or didn't mean.
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