Hire people smarter than you are and encourage them to bloom.
Ben BradleeRead
Nothing's riding on this, except the First Amendment to the Constitution, freedom of the press and maybe the future of the country. Not that any of that matters, but if you guys f-k up again, I'm gonna get mad.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the importance of the freedom of the press and its role in democracy.
In this quote, Ben Bradlee highlights the critical nature of the First Amendment, specifically the freedom of the press, suggesting that the stakes are high for journalists and the media in their responsibility to inform the public. He expresses a frustration that, while the consequences may seem trivial to some, they are vital for the health of democracy and the future of the nation.
Themes
FreedomPressDemocracyFirst AmendmentJournalism
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about media accountability, one might quote Ben Bradlee to emphasize the role of the press in democracy.
More from Ben Bradlee
All quotes →The really tough thing would have been to decide to take Woodward and Bernstein off the story. They were carrying the coal for us - in that their stories were right.
Ben BradleeRead
As long as a journalist tells the truth, in conscience and fairness, it is not his job to worry about consequences. The truth is never as dangerous as a lie in the long run. I truly believe the truth sets men free.
Ben BradleeRead
It changes your life, the pursuit of truth.
Ben BradleeRead
Sure, some journalists use anonymous sources just because they’re lazy, and I think editors ought to insist on more precise identification even if they remain anonymous.
Ben BradleeRead
Sometimes I am convinced there is nothing wrong with this country that couldn't be cured by the magical implantation of ethical standards on us all - leaders and followers. Until that becomes doable, the Center for Public Integrity is just about the best thing we have going for us.
Ben BradleeRead
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Now that we are poor, we are free. No white man controls our footsteps.
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Freedom is neither guaranteed nor automatic; not even in the United States. Left unguarded, it can slip away like a thief in the night.
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Freedom is always just one generation away from extinction. We don't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. We have to fight for it and protect it and then hand it to them, so that they shall do the same, or we're going to find ourselves spending our sunset years telling our children and our children's children, about a time in America, back in the day, when men and women were free.
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It's certainly not too late to change to the winning side. But you know, you also have the freedom to stay just where you are. That's what it means to be an American. That's the miracle of America. Freedom to believe means the freedom to believe the wrong thing, after all. Just as freedom of speech gives you the right to stay silent.
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Lock up your libraries if you like; but there is no gate, no lock, no bolt that you can set upon the freedom of my mind.
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