One of the greatest things I fear is letting down my people. I wouldn't live with that type of conscience, of having let down my people after they've been brutalized for so long.
Winnie Madikizela-MandelaRead
In the normal course of things, journalists want their story, and as soon as they are through with it, they pack their cameras and go. That was never the impression that David Astor gave when you were interviewed by him. It was far deeper than that.
Interpretation
David Astor approached journalism with a deeper understanding and connection to his subjects.
This quote speaks to the essence of true journalism, emphasizing that unlike many reporters who simply aim to collect a story and move on, David Astor engaged with his subjects on a more profound level. Winnie Madikizela-Mandela highlights Astor's approach as one that goes beyond mere duty, indicating a genuine curiosity and connection that fosters a deeper narrative and understanding of the human experience.
In practice
In a speech about the importance of empathy in journalism, one might reference this quote.
One of the greatest things I fear is letting down my people. I wouldn't live with that type of conscience, of having let down my people after they've been brutalized for so long.
I wanted to be a doctor at some point, and I was always bringing home strays from school: people who were too poor to pay fees or have food. My parents never rebuked me or told me that they were hard-pressed, too.
We shall liberate our country.
I learned to deal with the police... to be tough... to survive.
I am not sorry. I will never be sorry. I would do everything I did again if I had to. Everything.
The solution of this country's problems lies in black hands.
My function is, as objectively and accurately as I can, to present reality to people out there, and doing that as quickly as we do is quite difficult enough, thank you.
Budget cuts are a sad reality in most newsrooms, and I am concerned that they reduce the collective muscle of journalists who are doing the expensive, and often dangerous, work of on-the-ground reporting.
The difference between Rappler and other newsgroups in the Philippines is that journalists control Rappler both editorially and commercially. We make decisions that are bad for business but protect the public sphere.
The greatest felony in the news business today is to be behind, or to miss a big story. So speed and quantity substitute for thoroughness and quality, for accuracy and context.
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.
The most important ethical issues and the most difficult ones are the human ones because a reporter has enormous power to hurt people.
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