--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As a journalist, I know what it is like…" description: "\"As a journalist, I know what it is like to incur the self-righteous wrath of people who denounce you for things you didn't say or didn't mean.\" — Anne ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0f/anne-applebaum-2544_denounce_as-a-journalist-i-know-what-it-is-like-t_961807.jpg" --- # As a journalist, I know what it is like to incur the… ![“As a journalist, I know what it is like to incur the self-righteous wrath of people who denounce you for things you didn't say or didn't mean.” quote by Anne Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0f/anne-applebaum-2544_denounce_as-a-journalist-i-know-what-it-is-like-t_961807.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0f/anne-applebaum-2544_denounce_as-a-journalist-i-know-what-it-is-like-t_961807.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0f/anne-applebaum-2544_denounce_as-a-journalist-i-know-what-it-is-like-t_961807.jpg) > “As a journalist, I know what it is like to incur the self-righteous wrath of people who denounce you for things you didn't say or didn't mean.” [Anne Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Journalists face harsh criticism for statements they never made or intended. **In simple terms:** Journalists endure unfair backlash for misunderstood words. Key Takeaway Seek clarity and resilience against misinterpretation. Themes journalism misinterpretation integrity Mood defensive reflective Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - defamation - online harassment Key Concepts media ethics public discourse Questions to Reflect On - How do you protect your words from distortion? - What strategies help maintain integrity? A Different Perspective Misinterpretation can damage credibility despite intent. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Denounce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/denounce/) [Denounce Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/denounce-things-1785129/) [Journalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journalism/) [Journalist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journalist/) [Journalist Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journalist-know-540808/) [Mean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mean/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Denounce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-denounce-1785130/) [Who](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/who/) [Wrath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrath/) ## Related quotes > [“To say nothing is saying something. You must denounce things you are against or one might believe that you support things you really do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/to-say-nothing-is-saying-something-you-must-denounce-things-you-are/) [Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/) > [A good journalist, as you know, is a great listener. And so's a good writer. And I got to listen to people for almost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-penny/a-good-journalist-as-you-know-is-a-great-listener-and-so-s-a-good/) [Louise Penny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-penny/) > [As a journalist, you know you are doing your job properly when you manage to upset rich, powerful and entitled people who are used…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-adams/as-a-journalist-you-know-you-are-doing-your-job-properly-when-you/) [Guy Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-adams/) > [I believe that I've been asked all possible questions. I, myself, if I were a journalist, would not know what to ask me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-saramago/i-believe-that-i-ve-been-asked-all-possible-questions-i-myself-if-i/) [Jose Saramago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jos-saramago/) > [And I'm hoping that fair-minded people will stand up and say that what's been done to me is wrong, and that-that people's personal lives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-gannon/and-i-m-hoping-that-fair-minded-people-will-stand-up-and-say-that/) [Jeff Gannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-gannon/) > [“I got a call froma cynical young American journalist...You know the sort. He's lived in the Middle East for a little over five minutes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-mowafi/i-got-a-call-froma-cynical-young-american-journalist-you-know-the/) [Amy Mowafi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-mowafi/) > [When I first started out as a young journalist, I know that on at least two occasions, when I walked into a newsroom, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamron-hall/when-i-first-started-out-as-a-young-journalist-i-know-that-on-at/) [Tamron Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamron-hall/) > [You know, honestly - look, I'm not a journalist. This is the first, you know, tragedy that I have covered on the air.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-beck/you-know-honestly-look-i-m-not-a-journalist-this-is-the-first-you/) [Glenn Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-beck/) > [When you move artistically, the natural inclination is to denounce everything that's gone before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-corgan/when-you-move-artistically-the-natural-inclination-is-to-denounce/) [Billy Corgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-corgan/) > [Journalists should denounce government by public opinion polls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-rather/journalists-should-denounce-government-by-public-opinion-polls/) [Dan Rather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-rather/) > [We all denounce bores, but while we do so, let us remember that there is nobody who isn't a bore to somebody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-a-spender/we-all-denounce-bores-but-while-we-do-so-let-us-remember-that-there/) [J. A. Spender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-a-spender/) > [We need to, as a society, collectively, unequivocally denounce any time innocent lives are lost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jagmeet-singh/we-need-to-as-a-society-collectively-unequivocally-denounce-any-time/) [Jagmeet Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jagmeet-singh/) > [I did denounce it. I de-I denounced it. I denounced interracial dating. I denounced anti-Catholic bigacy... bigotry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/i-did-denounce-it-i-de-i-denounced-it-i-denounced-interracial-dating/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [None of us is in a position to eliminate war, but it is our obligation to denounce it and expose it in all its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/none-of-us-is-in-a-position-to-eliminate-war-but-it-is-our-obligation/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [I don't just denounce suicide bombers. I denounce those governments which use indiscriminate slaughter to advance their foreign policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-livingstone/i-don-t-just-denounce-suicide-bombers-i-denounce-those-governments/) [Ken Livingstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-livingstone/) ## More by Anne Applebaum > [Quite a lot has been written, including by me, about the effect of social media on politics, and in particular the way in which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-applebaum/quite-a-lot-has-been-written-including-by-me-about-the-effect-of/) [Anne Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/) > [After Trump became president, it was really too late to investigate his dodgy investments in Azerbaijan or his links to Russian money laundering. Those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-applebaum/after-trump-became-president-it-was-really-too-late-to-investigate/) [Anne Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/) > [If Reagan and John Paul II were linked by anything, it was a grand, ambitious, and generous idea of Western political civilization, one in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-applebaum/if-reagan-and-john-paul-ii-were-linked-by-anything-it-was-a-grand/) [Anne Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/) > [Until the attack on Pearl Harbor, isolationism was an important, even dominant strand in U.S. politics. After the Second World War, this strand disappeared,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-applebaum/until-the-attack-on-pearl-harbor-isolationism-was-an-important-even/) [Anne Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/) > [The U.S.S.R. was a totalitarian state in which judges and prosecutors were controlled by the ruling party. The result was injustice, oppression and corruption.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-applebaum/the-u-s-s-r-was-a-totalitarian-state-in-which-judges-and-prosecutors/) [Anne Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/) > [One knows, of course, that Donald Trump behaves differently from the leaders of other countries, especially the leaders of other Western democracies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-applebaum/one-knows-of-course-that-donald-trump-behaves-differently-from-the/) [Anne Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/) > [As a nation, we are not good at long-term planning, and no wonder: Our political system insists that every president be allowed to appoint…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-applebaum/as-a-nation-we-are-not-good-at-long-term-planning-and-no-wonder-our/) [Anne Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/) > [Amazingly, quite a few people, even some American conservatives, are taken in by Russian tactics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-applebaum/amazingly-quite-a-few-people-even-some-american-conservatives-are/) [Anne Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/) > [Like wealth, or health, political freedom may simply be something that people don't value if they've always had it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-applebaum/like-wealth-or-health-political-freedom-may-simply-be-something-that/) [Anne Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/) > [Unlike most European countries, the police in the US are decentralized; even the FBI has regional offices. Amending the constitution is a long and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-applebaum/unlike-most-european-countries-the-police-in-the-us-are-decentralized/) [Anne Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/) > [The hard truth is that Trump was not exceptional. He was just another amoral Western businessman, one of many whom the ex-KGB elite have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-applebaum/the-hard-truth-is-that-trump-was-not-exceptional-he-was-just-another/) [Anne Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/) > [Politics in Slovakia had long been a battle between egotistical men. Caputova sought to be the anti-ego alternative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-applebaum/politics-in-slovakia-had-long-been-a-battle-between-egotistical-men/) [Anne Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/) > [European security may now depend on Germany, France, Britain and one or two others, and it's better to start planning now for the possibility…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-applebaum/european-security-may-now-depend-on-germany-france-britain-and-one-or/) [Anne Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/) > [Americans might not want to intervene in the outside world, but the outside world will still want to intervene in America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-applebaum/americans-might-not-want-to-intervene-in-the-outside-world-but-the/) [Anne Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/) > [Romney was an excellent businessman with a strong record as a public servant - whereas Trump inherited wealth, went bankrupt more than once, created…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-applebaum/romney-was-an-excellent-businessman-with-a-strong-record-as-a-public/) [Anne Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/) [Explore all 161 Anne Applebaum quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/) ## More Denounce quotes > [I don't just denounce suicide bombers. I denounce those governments which use indiscriminate slaughter to advance their foreign policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-livingstone/i-don-t-just-denounce-suicide-bombers-i-denounce-those-governments/) [Ken Livingstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-livingstone/) > [None of us is in a position to eliminate war, but it is our obligation to denounce it and expose it in all its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/none-of-us-is-in-a-position-to-eliminate-war-but-it-is-our-obligation/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [I did denounce it. I de-I denounced it. I denounced interracial dating. I denounced anti-Catholic bigacy... bigotry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/i-did-denounce-it-i-de-i-denounced-it-i-denounced-interracial-dating/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [We need to, as a society, collectively, unequivocally denounce any time innocent lives are lost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jagmeet-singh/we-need-to-as-a-society-collectively-unequivocally-denounce-any-time/) [Jagmeet Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jagmeet-singh/) > [We all denounce bores, but while we do so, let us remember that there is nobody who isn't a bore to somebody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-a-spender/we-all-denounce-bores-but-while-we-do-so-let-us-remember-that-there/) [J. A. Spender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-a-spender/) > [Journalists should denounce government by public opinion polls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-rather/journalists-should-denounce-government-by-public-opinion-polls/) [Dan Rather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-rather/) > [When you move artistically, the natural inclination is to denounce everything that's gone before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-corgan/when-you-move-artistically-the-natural-inclination-is-to-denounce/) [Billy Corgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-corgan/) > [I never thought I'd live to see the day that an American administration would denounce the state of Israel for rebuilding Jerusalem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pence/i-never-thought-i-d-live-to-see-the-day-that-an-american/) [Mike Pence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pence/) > [I denounce anyone, anyone held responsible for any act of violence perpetrated against any innocent lives. It is just unacceptable. It is, fundamentally, something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jagmeet-singh/i-denounce-anyone-anyone-held-responsible-for-any-act-of-violence/) [Jagmeet Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jagmeet-singh/) > [“Whenever they are condemning weaves or breast implants, some people speak so passionately that their false teeth almost fall out.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/whenever-they-are-condemning-weaves-or-breast-implants-some-people/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [“I denounce the do-gooders, the feel-gooders, the “activist clubs,” and anyone else who makes people feel like the problem is being taken care of.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blake-nelson/i-denounce-the-do-gooders-the-feel-gooders-the-activist-clubs-and/) [Blake Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blake-nelson/) > [Nothing is easier than to denounce the evildoer; nothing is more difficult than to understand him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/nothing-is-easier-than-to-denounce-the-evildoer-nothing-is-more/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [“To say nothing is saying something. You must denounce things you are against or one might believe that you support things you really do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/to-say-nothing-is-saying-something-you-must-denounce-things-you-are/) [Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/) > [“Criticize me all you wish,” he returned coolly, “but remember that you come to me because of the very actions you denounce. Now, do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-mckeithen/criticize-me-all-you-wish-he-returned-coolly-but-remember-that-you/) [Jennifer McKeithen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-mckeithen/) > [To denounce moralizing out of hand is to pronounce a moral judgment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/to-denounce-moralizing-out-of-hand-is-to-pronounce-a-moral-judgment/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) [Browse all 36 Denounce quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/denounce/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "As a journalist, I know what it is like to incur the self-righteous wrath of people who denounce you for things you didn't say or didn't mean.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Anne Applebaum" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-applebaum/as-a-journalist-i-know-what-it-is-like-to-incur-the-self-righteous/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Denounce" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-applebaum/as-a-journalist-i-know-what-it-is-like-to-incur-the-self-righteous/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0f/anne-applebaum-2544_denounce_as-a-journalist-i-know-what-it-is-like-t_961807.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0f/anne-applebaum-2544_denounce_as-a-journalist-i-know-what-it-is-like-t_961807.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0f/anne-applebaum-2544_denounce_as-a-journalist-i-know-what-it-is-like-t_961807.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“As a journalist, I know what it is like to incur the self-righteous wrath of people who denounce you for…” — Anne Applebaum", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Anne Applebaum", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "As a journalist, I know what...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-applebaum/as-a-journalist-i-know-what-it-is-like-to-incur-the-self-righteous/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-applebaum/as-a-journalist-i-know-what-it-is-like-to-incur-the-self-righteous/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```