Peter Morgan Quotes

I think a lot about something: Abe Rosenthal was once asked what he wanted on his headstone, and he said he wanted it just to say, 'He kept the paper straight.' And I think about that a lot.

No writer for the press, however humble, is free from the burden of keeping his purpose high and his integrity white.

If I was President of the United States, I'd rather be right than interesting. If I was CEO of a company, I'd rather be right than interesting. But I'm a journalist - what journalist would rather be right than interesting?

In writing non-fiction about people who are living, you are always walking a fine line, carrying a burden to be fair that, in my opinion, should always be there.

There's always a responsibility as a pundit, whether you're male or female: the way you present yourself, making sure you've got your facts right.

Well, I don't know about objectivity, but I know for certain that it's always possible for a professional journalist who understands what he or she's up to to be fair, and that's the key word. Fairness to individuals, fairness to ideas, and to issues and whatever - that is critical, and that is also part and parcel of what the job.

Look, everybody in journalism has a reputation of sorts.

Laziness has become the chief characteristic of journalism, displacing incompetence.

I don't think there's any reason in journalism not to approach stories we cover with humility, empathy, compassion, and intellectual openness. I mean, I think those are just important human traits. I don't think that precludes scrutiny, negativity, where it's appropriate.

It's so difficult writing about living people.

I couldn't stand people writing about me the way I write about politicians.

A public man should have no resentments.

We are not a paid bunch of bullies. Our job is to get the facts.

I can stand here today, look you in the face, and say I'm proud of the efforts of 'ABC News.' I respect 'ABC News.' And I believe they work very hard to present news in an extremely fair way.

I feel a responsibility for telling the truth.

When you work at 'The Wall Street Journal,' the coins of the realm are truth and trust - the latter flowing exclusively from the former.

Everyone is free to express their opinions, but I think that journalists should do it with more responsibility. They lack accuracy.

Journalists must work to earn the trust of those they aim to serve.

Just like there is nothing wrong with calling out unethical attorneys, there is nothing wrong with calling out unethical journalists.

I would never blame an actor for taking on a role. The only time that I think I have to question why someone's doing something is when they're either mocking or trivializing the events that occurred or making it more sensational than it was.

As a public figure, you deserve to be treated fairly.

A man made for public life and authority never takes account of personalities; he only takes account of things, of their weight and their conseqences.

My ego is one thing. Of course I want people to like what I do. Of course. There's no doubt. You wouldn't do it. But I think what people don't fully know is how responsible you feel for so many entities. So many hardworking people who've collaborated.

I want to emphasize that character in our leaders does matter.

To be a leader, regardless of what party you're in, is to tell your followers what lines not to cross.