Linda Ellerbee Quotes

The First Law of Journalism: to confirm existing prejudice, rather than contradict it.

Being beyond politics, I am able to examine the role of the media without worrying about the indignant harrumphing that emanates from many journalists and commentators when you do so.

Asking the question whether the mainstream media has a liberal or conservative bias is like asking whether al Qaeda uses too much oil in their hummus. I might think they use a little bit too much oil; some people might think it's a little dry. But the problem with al Qaeda is they want to kill us. And the problem with the mainstream media is that it has these other biases that are much more important.

I do find that the mainstream media oftentimes is what I would consider off base or has a bias.

I don't want the news to be patriotic. I don't want to see flags on the lapels of the anchors. I don't want any of that.

Journalists like to give themselves credit for being on the hunt for 'the truth.' But if we embrace this undoubtedly noble but somewhat haughty interpretation of a calling, we inevitably become susceptible to slam dunk answers.

It's CNN's bigger problem that CNN wants to deny reality. I, too, used to drink the Kool-Aid that it was a top journalism operation that reports without bias. Now that I'm outside the walls of traditional media, I know there is no such thing.

You think that the CNN hosts can aggressively challenge government officials? I don't think so. It doesn't look that way at all. And of course, when you get to Fox News, they're a whole different animal: they're purely propaganda.

The U.S. corporate media, otherwise known as the "free press," is that hollow pillar on which contemporary American democracy rests.

I challenge anybody to show me an example of bias in Fox News Channel.

You need fighters like me to battle, because frankly The New York Times and the Washington Post are not going to fight the fights that I do.

I think there are a lot of reasons to be critical of the media in America.

The biased left-wing media does what it wants. That's not going to define me or hamper me.

There's nothing good on the news. You're not telling me CNN is all cats in trees, are you? Nothing can be that good if Piers Morgan is in it, you know what I mean?

I think the media needs a little criticizing now, as it did in the '80s, don't you?

You know it's always amazed me - I think the most startling thing that's happened in the last couple of decades is that there is no sort of objective reporting anymore.

Anybody who has had the pleasure of reading an article about themselves in the press knows that, on the whole, there is a huge amount of inaccuracy, value judgment and the use of a crowbar to insert editorial bias that reflects the current political leaning of that particular paper.

There's so much cynicism around in Britain, especially in the press. The American press might be naive, but at least you feel as if they're on your side.

All the media are horrible.

I think, though, that people will read into a reporter's story a bias that they want to see in a reporter.

The whole sort of debate of classic objective journalism versus a new immersion journalism - that can go on forever... I made no bones about my position: I don't think you can be objective.

The papers, you know, they're always gonna just make stuff up. They think it's in the public interest.

I grew up in the era when Dan Rather hated Richard Nixon. He was a newsman, but you knew what his opinion was.

I am not here to accuse the media of anything.

I cover media people the way they cover politicians.