Truth in Journalism Quotes

Giving the same value to fiction as to fact in the interest of so-called fairness is to mislead the American people and the press has become party to that.

Absolute truth is a very rare and dangerous commodity in the context of professional journalism.

People always go on about sleaze, but I think it's only a small part of what I write about.

The journalist should be on his guard against publishing what is false in taste or exceptionable in morals.

But the fact being once established, that the press is impotent when it abandons itself to falsehood, I leave to others to restore it to its strength, by recalling it within the pale of truth. Within that, it is a noble institution, equally the friend of science and of civil liberty.

I am being ripped off, because I've never lied to the press. Just as much truth I bring to my work, a journalist should bring that much truth to their work.

Folks, Brian Williams isn't the exception. He's exactly what they've taught us to expect from them all. It's not journalism any more - it's entertainment, it's celebrity, it's agendas and it's money. All too often, a lie is now an acceptable way of communicating. To the media, a lie has as much value as the truth.

I am not responsible for all the journalists in the past that have told lies.

Making stuff up is the worst thing a journalist can do. Plagiarizing is the second worst.

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

Among the reasons that you go into journalism, I suppose, are some rather idealistic, even foolish reasons. In my case one of the reasons was I wanted to explain how things really work, how political power really works.

Everyone seems to assume that the unscrupulous parts of journalism will be the frivolous or jocular parts. This is against all ethical experience. Jokes are generally honest. Complete solemnity is almost always dishonest. The writer of the snippet merely refers to a frivolous and fugitive fact in a frivolous and fugitive way. The writer of the leading article has to write about a fact he has known for 20 minutes as though he has studied it for 20 years.

The whole point to American journalism is what ought to be true is true.

No, that’s journalism. The truth is whatever you can’t escape.

No reporter worth his buttons will let the facts intrude on a good story.

The whole point to American journalism is what ought to be true is true. Since I ought to be arrogant, impressed with my social position, overwhelmed by my beauty, therefore I am.