Great journalism quotes
January 8th 2009 11:14
Quotes about journalism and newspapers fall generally into two categories. The first comprises the many fine words which have collectively described the aims and ambitions of newspapers, and the honour, integrity and, at times, courage, of the men and women who work to bring those newspapers to you. These quotes are numerous and occasionally stirring. Generally, however, they are as dull as a broadsheet editorial on taxation policy.
The other sort are much more fun. Almost every one of the great wits in history has had something to say about journalism, and rarely was it a nice thing. Journalism is fun to make fun of it. Forget the honour and integrity. This second category of journalism quotes comprises almost entirely jibes at the Fourth Estate.
As an old newspaper journalist, I could resent that. Instead, I got a lot of laughs from the following.
The newspapers! Sir, they are the most villainous – licentious – abominable – infernal – Not that I ever read them – No – I make it a rule never to look into a newspaper.
Richard Brinsley Sheridan (1751-1816), The Critic (1779)
None of the worst French novels from which careful parents try to protect their children can be as bad as what is daily bought and laid upon the breakfast table of every educated family in England, and its effect must be most pernicious to the public morals of the country.
Queen Victoria (1819-1901), letter to the Lord Chancellor, (1859)
Journalism largely consists in saying "Lord Jones Dead" to people who never knew Lord Jones was alive.
G.K. Chesterton (1874-1936), Wisdom of Father Brown (1914)
Editor: a person employed by a newspaper, whose business it is to separate the wheat from the chaff, and to see that the chaff is printed.
Elbert Hubbard (1859-1915), The Roycroft Dictionary (1914)
You should always believe all you read in the newspapers, as this makes them more interesting.
Rose Macaulay (1881-1958), A Casual Commentary (1926)
I think it well to remember that, when writing for the newspapers, we are writing for an elderly lady in Hastings who has two cats of which she is passionately fond. Unless our stuff can successfully compete for her interest with those cats, it is no good.
Wilmott Lewis (1877-1950), Claud Cockburn In Time of Trouble (1957)
You cannot hope to bribe or twist,
Thank God! the British journalist.
But, seeing what the man will do
unbribed, there's no occasion to.
Humbert Wolfe (1886-1940), Over the Fire (1930)
He once telephoned a semicolon from Moscow.
James Bone, on being asked (in 1935) whether George Mair had been a fastidious reporter.
No self-respecting fish would be wrapped in a Murdoch newspaper.
Mike Royko (1932-), Karl Meyer Pundits, Poets and Wits (1990)
The art of newspaper paragraphing is to stroke a platitude until it purrs like an epigram.
Don Marquis (1878-1937), E. Anthony O Rare Don Marquis (1962)
Oxford Dictionary of Humorous Quotations, The Penguin Dictionary of Modern Humorous Quotations, www.schindler.org
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Comment by Damo
I wonder what people will be writing about blogger in the future.
Comment by Michaelie
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I especially liked the Mike Royko and Rose Macaulay ones.
Michaelie
Comment by Chris Champion
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Michaelie, the Royko quote is famous, as was Mike Royko. He was a celebrated (he won a Pulitzer Prize) columnist at the Chicago Sun-Times in 1984 when Rupert Murdoch bought the paper. Royko walked out, slinging that fabulous insult behind him, and joined the competition Chicago Tribune.
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good one!