John Boyle O'Reilly Quotes

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?

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.

A journalists's job is not to be balanced. It is to be accurate.

To newspapers and publishing houses I urge the use of fact over fiction, freedom of the press, and responsibility at all times.

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.

Accuracy is to a newspaper what virtue is to a lady, but a newspaper can always print a retraction.

The fact that a man is a newspaper reporter is evidence of some flaw in character.

Bloggers want all the access and none of the accountability.

I don’t care if you fuck the elephants, but if you do, you can’t cover the circus.

I feel a responsibility for telling the truth.

I tell the truth. That's my training as a reporter.

I hate newspapermen. They come into camp and pick up their camp rumors and print them as facts. I regard them as spies, which, in truth, they are.

Both politicians and journalists face situations which strain their honesty and humanity. My opinion is that politicians on the average stand up somewhat better than journalists.

Accuracy to a newspaper is what virtue is to a lady; but a newspaper can always print a retraction.

The ethics of journalism are one thing. Another thing is the ethics of business.

I was once a journalist. And I think of myself as a journalist, and that's it. You tell the truth. I even wrote a book called 'The Truth'.

I will not be misquoted!

You can't have justice unless you have truth.

My comments are reserved for reputable journalists.

There are honest journalists like there are honest politicians - they stay bought.

It's hard to know now who, if anyone, in the media has any credibility.

Journalists have misquoted people for so long–and quoted them out of context–that many people like to have their words on record [in writing]. I don’t want someone taking half a sentence or paraphrasing me… Just too much risk.

A long life in journalism convinced me many presidents ago that there should be a large air space between a journalist and the head of a state.

Not to be weirdly glib, but as a reporter, you should be honest all the time.

A writer has to live with a sense of honor.