In the beginning when I sat next to Tom Brokaw on the…
“In the beginning when I sat next to Tom Brokaw on the 'Today' show, the stories I was interested in were those having to do with women and children and learning and health. In those days, 25 to 30 years ago, that was called soft news, and not in a nice way.”
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Media historically labeled topics about women, children, health as “soft,” revealing gender bias in news values.
In simple terms: Soft news was dismissed because of who it focused on.
Challenge dismissive labels and value all stories.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- newsroom decisions
- public health campaigns
- education reporting
- family services
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- Why are stories about care considered less serious?
- How can journalists elevate underrepresented topics?
Soft news can still be seen as less important despite impact.