Traditions are the guideposts driven deep in our subconscious minds. The most powerful ones are those we can't even describe, aren't even aware of.
Ellen GoodmanRead
Today, much of journalism and politics are in a kind of collusion to oversimplify and personalize issues. No room for ambivalence. Plenty of room for the personal attack.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote highlights the troubling trend in journalism and politics towards simplification and personal attacks rather than nuanced discussion.
Ellen Goodman critiques the state of contemporary journalism and politics, emphasizing how the focus has shifted towards oversimplifying complex issues and personalizing them. This has resulted in a lack of space for ambivalence and a greater allowance for personal attacks, ultimately hindering healthy discourse and understanding in these fields.
Themes
JournalismPoliticsOversimplificationPersonal AttackDiscourse
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about contemporary media's role in shaping public opinion.
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