It only serves to show what sort of person a man must be who can't even get testimonials. No, no; if a man brings references, it proves nothing; but if he can't, it proves a great deal.
I desire to assist in attracting to this profession young men of character and ability, also to help those already engaged in the profession to acquire the highest moral and intellectual training
Interpretation
What this quote means
Joseph Pulitzer emphasizes the importance of attracting talented and principled individuals to the profession while also advocating for the ongoing moral and intellectual development of those already in it.
In this quote, Joseph Pulitzer expresses a deep commitment to the field of journalism, particularly in nurturing and selecting young men who not only demonstrate skill and capability but also possess strong character. He underscores the necessity of continuous moral and intellectual growth for professionals in the industry, reflecting a belief that journalism must be upheld by individuals who are both competent and ethically grounded, ultimately aiming to elevate the profession as a whole.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech at a journalism school graduation, one might quote Pulitzer to motivate the students about their future careers.
More from Joseph Pulitzer
All quotes →What a newspaper needs in its news, in its headlines, and on its editorial page is terseness, humor, descriptive power, satire, originality, good literary style, clever condensation, and accuracy, accuracy, accuracy!
Put it before them briefly so they will read it, clearly so they will appreciate it, picturesquely so they will remember it and, above all, accurately so they will be guided by its light.
If you will give the matter a moment's thought, you'll see that memory is the highest faculty of the human mind.
An able, disinterested, public-spirited press, with trained intelligence to know the right and courage to do it, can preserve that public virtue without which popular government is a sham and a mockery
The American people want something terse, forcible, picturesque, striking - something that will arrest their attention, enlist their sympathy, arouse their indignation, stimulate their imagination, convince their reason, awaken their conscience.
Similar quotes
I don't care what town you're born in, what city, what country. If you're a child, you are curious about your environment. You're overturning rocks. You're plucking leaves off of trees and petals off of flowers, looking inside, and you're doing things that create disorder in the lives of the adults around you.
Real knowledge, like everything else of value, is not to be obtained easily. It must be worked for, studied for, thought for, and, more that all, must be prayed for.
A man is not learned until he can read, write and swim.
When the panting and thirsting soul first drinks the delicious waters of truth, when the moral and intellectual tastes and desires first seize the fragrant fruits that flourish in the garden of knowledge, then does the child catch a glimpse and foretaste of heaven.
The most profound lessons about journalism I've learned have been taught to me by the people I've covered.
Teachers who offer you the ultimate answers do not possess the ultimate answers, for if they did, they would know that the ultimate answers cannot be given, they can only be received.