---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Journalists say a thing that they know…"
description: "\"Journalists say a thing that they know isn't true, in the hope that if they keep on saying it long enough it will be true.\" — Arnold Bennett"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca8/arnold-bennett-3325_enough_journalists-say-a-thing-that-they-know-i_1503866.png"
---

#  Journalists say a thing that they know isn't true, in the…

![“Journalists say a thing that they know isn't true, in the hope that if they keep on saying it long enough it will be true.” quote by Arnold Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca8/arnold-bennett-3325_enough_journalists-say-a-thing-that-they-know-i_1503866.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca8/arnold-bennett-3325_enough_journalists-say-a-thing-that-they-know-i_1503866.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca8/arnold-bennett-3325_enough_journalists-say-a-thing-that-they-know-i_1503866.png)

> “Journalists say a thing that they know isn't true, in the hope that if they keep on saying it long enough it will be true.”

[Arnold Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-bennett/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Repeated false statements may become accepted as truth through sheer persistence, highlighting the danger of propaganda.

**In simple terms:** Repetition can turn lies into perceived facts.

Key Takeaway

Question repeated claims.

Themes

propaganda truth distortion media influence

Mood

cautious critical

Type

ethical educational

When to use this quote

- political speech
- advertising
- social media narratives

Key Concepts

cognitive bias information overload

Questions to Reflect On

- How do we verify repeated information?
- What safeguards protect against misinformation?

A Different Perspective

Truthful reporting can counteract this.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enough/) [Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hope/) [Hope Saying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hope-saying-1622319/) [Isn True](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/isn-true/) [Journalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journalism/) [Journalists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journalists/) [Journalists Say](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journalists-say-2526355/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Long True](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-true-541107/)

## Related quotes

> [When I say PSG is the club close to my heart, I don't want journalists to say, 'He can't say that!' But of course…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/serge-aurier/when-i-say-psg-is-the-club-close-to-my-heart-i-don-t-want-journalists/)

[Serge Aurier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/serge-aurier/)

> [A lot of journalists say, "Tell us about the '80s." Nobody wants to know about the '70s!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grandmaster-flash-and-the-furious-five/a-lot-of-journalists-say-tell-us-about-the-80s-nobody-wants-to-know/)

[Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grandmaster-flash-and-the-furious-five/)

> [Journalists say that when a dog bites a man, that is not news, but when a man bites a dog, that is news ...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/journalists-say-that-when-a-dog-bites-a-man-that-is-not-news-but-when/)

[Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/)

> [I think hope is not simply looking around and saying that everything’s great – that’s just ridiculous. For hope to have substance, it has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-foreman/i-think-hope-is-not-simply-looking-around-and-saying-that-everything/)

[Tim Foreman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-foreman/)

> [“You slept and missed a stop that you so desired, and the stop is now far behind! Instead of lamenting this situation, you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/you-slept-and-missed-a-stop-that-you-so-desired-and-the-stop-is-now/)

[Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/)

> [“As we walk out to the street my friend points out a sign on the other side of the road, which instructs people to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-hopkinson/as-we-walk-out-to-the-street-my-friend-points-out-a-sign-on-the-other/)

[Greg Hopkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-hopkinson/)

> [Hope is the denial of reality. It is the carrot dangled before the draft horse to keep him plodding along in a vain attempt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-weis/hope-is-the-denial-of-reality-it-is-the-carrot-dangled-before-the/)

[Margaret Weis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-weis/)

> [As long as you are being true to yourself, you will always find happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-riley/as-long-as-you-are-being-true-to-yourself-you-will-always-find/)

[Amber Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-riley/)

> [Anyone who has been in this town long enough has their own 'True Hollywood story.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dante-basco/anyone-who-has-been-in-this-town-long-enough-has-their-own-true/)

[Dante Basco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dante-basco/)

> [“I can take anything anybody calls me so long as it’s not true.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/i-can-take-anything-anybody-calls-me-so-long-as-it-s-not-true/)

[Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/)

> [You can't really go wrong as long as you're true to yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blake-lively/you-can-t-really-go-wrong-as-long-as-you-re-true-to-yourself/)

[Blake Lively](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blake-lively/)

> [I don't mind anything that's written about me, as long as it's not true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-parker/i-don-t-mind-anything-that-s-written-about-me-as-long-as-it-s-not-true/)

[Dorothy Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-parker/)

> [It's the film journalists that I'm wary of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ranvir-shorey/it-s-the-film-journalists-that-i-m-wary-of/)

[Ranvir Shorey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ranvir-shorey/)

> [Journalists are notoriously easy to kid. All you have to do is speak to a journalist in a very serious tone of voice, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/journalists-are-notoriously-easy-to-kid-all-you-have-to-do-is-speak/)

[P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/)

> [“I’m a journalist, and journalists need news. Deprive them of it, and they go a bit barking. Deprive them of news long enough, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-shriver/i-m-a-journalist-and-journalists-need-news-deprive-them-of-it-and/)

[Lionel Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-shriver/)

## More by Arnold Bennett

> [The chances are that you have already come to believe that happiness is unattainable. But men have attained it. And they have attained it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-bennett/the-chances-are-that-you-have-already-come-to-believe-that-happiness/)

[Arnold Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-bennett/)

> [Good taste is better than bad taste, but bad taste is better than no taste.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-bennett/good-taste-is-better-than-bad-taste-but-bad-taste-is-better-than-no/)

[Arnold Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-bennett/)

> [To write is to make oneself the echo of what cannot cease speaking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-bennett/to-write-is-to-make-oneself-the-echo-of-what-cannot-cease-speaking/)

[Arnold Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-bennett/)

> [The parents exist to teach the child, but also they must learn what the child has to teach them; and the child has a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-bennett/the-parents-exist-to-teach-the-child-but-also-they-must-learn-what/)

[Arnold Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-bennett/)

> [The gain in self-confidence of having accomplished a tiresome labour is immense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-bennett/the-gain-in-self-confidence-of-having-accomplished-a-tiresome-labour/)

[Arnold Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-bennett/)

> [A man of sixty has spent twenty years in bed and over three years in eating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-bennett/a-man-of-sixty-has-spent-twenty-years-in-bed-and-over-three-years-in/)

[Arnold Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-bennett/)

> [“What then? Are we only to buy the books that we read? The question has merely to be thus bluntly put, and it answers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-bennett/what-then-are-we-only-to-buy-the-books-that-we-read-the-question-has/)

[Arnold Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-bennett/)

> [The most important preliminary to the task of arranging one's life so that one may live fully and comfortably within one's daily budget of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-bennett/the-most-important-preliminary-to-the-task-of-arranging-one-s-life-so/)

[Arnold Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-bennett/)

> [You are not in charge of the universe; you are in charge of yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-bennett/you-are-not-in-charge-of-the-universe-you-are-in-charge-of-yourself/)

[Arnold Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-bennett/)

> [“When one has thoroughly got imbued into one's head the leading truth that nothing happens without a cause, one grows not only large-minded, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-bennett/when-one-has-thoroughly-got-imbued-into-one-s-head-the-leading-truth/)

[Arnold Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-bennett/)

> [Any change, even a change for the better, is always accompanied by drawbacks and discomforts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-bennett/any-change-even-a-change-for-the-better-is-always-accompanied-by/)

[Arnold Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-bennett/)

> [“The public is a great actuality, like war. If you are a creative and creating artist, you cannot ignore it, though it can ignore…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-bennett/the-public-is-a-great-actuality-like-war-if-you-are-a-creative-and/)

[Arnold Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-bennett/)

> [“Good clothes, when put to the test, survive a change in fortune, as a Roman arch survives the luxury of departed empire.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-bennett/good-clothes-when-put-to-the-test-survive-a-change-in-fortune-as-a/)

[Arnold Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-bennett/)

> [Ninety percent of the friction of daily life is caused by tone of voice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-bennett/ninety-percent-of-the-friction-of-daily-life-is-caused-by-tone-of/)

[Arnold Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-bennett/)

> [During a long and varied career as a bachelor, I have noticed that marriage is the death of politeness between a man and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-bennett/during-a-long-and-varied-career-as-a-bachelor-i-have-noticed-that/)

[Arnold Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-bennett/)

[Explore all 133 Arnold Bennett quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-bennett/)

## More Enough quotes

> [I guess at it's very core love is connection that just makes so much sense you wonder how you used to live before you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-stone/i-guess-at-it-s-very-core-love-is-connection-that-just-makes-so-much/)

[Benjamin Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-stone/)

> [Failures happen. You can't cry over them. You just take it in your stride because you know that you have done your best... Sometimes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-dutta/failures-happen-you-can-t-cry-over-them-you-just-take-it-in-your/)

[Divya Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-dutta/)

> [I feel very grateful to be alive and well enough to make music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-ant/i-feel-very-grateful-to-be-alive-and-well-enough-to-make-music/)

[Adam Ant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-ant/)

> [I've been lucky enough to, for the most part, surround myself with a lot of people who are more talented than me and who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-franco/i-ve-been-lucky-enough-to-for-the-most-part-surround-myself-with-a/)

[Dave Franco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-franco/)

> [I love because there is not enough room in my heart to hate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rena-kornreich-gelissen/i-love-because-there-is-not-enough-room-in-my-heart-to-hate/)

[Rena Kornreich Gelissen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rena-kornreich-gelissen/)

> [We find few historians who have been diligent enough in their search for truth; it is their common method to take on trust what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/we-find-few-historians-who-have-been-diligent-enough-in-their-search/)

[John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/)

> [Sometimes it's just enough for me to have the idea. I don't need to see it through to the end. When it actually happens,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-sedaris/sometimes-it-s-just-enough-for-me-to-have-the-idea-i-don-t-need-to/)

[Amy Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-sedaris/)

> [The vast majority of organizations today have more than enough intelligence, experience and knowledge to be successful. What they lack is organizational health.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-lencioni/the-vast-majority-of-organizations-today-have-more-than-enough/)

[Patrick Lencioni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-lencioni/)

> [I'm an actor, so I'm never going to feel like I've done enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italia-ricci/i-m-an-actor-so-i-m-never-going-to-feel-like-i-ve-done-enough/)

[Italia Ricci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italia-ricci/)

> [I've been to Manchester enough to know it's a real place. It's not Factory Records and the Smiths bicycling around. I get it. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-murphy/i-ve-been-to-manchester-enough-to-know-it-s-a-real-place-it-s-not/)

[James Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-murphy/)

> [Lutherans, whose arguments and mistakes will not be difficult to contest or discover, do not want to attribute any value to works, and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-servetus/lutherans-whose-arguments-and-mistakes-will-not-be-difficult-to/)

[Michael Servetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-servetus/)

> [Sam dropped me off. When she was too far away to see me, I started to cry again. Because she was my friend again.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/sam-dropped-me-off-when-she-was-too-far-away-to-see-me-i-started-to/)

[Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/)

> [I just worried about my weight. Worried about my appearance and thought I wan't pretty enough to be a pop star. It was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-durham/i-just-worried-about-my-weight-worried-about-my-appearance-and/)

[Judith Durham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-durham/)

> [I don't want this to be a distraction. This has been distracting enough. I'm not going to rehash this going forward. I'm sure other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayson-werth/i-don-t-want-this-to-be-a-distraction-this-has-been-distracting/)

[Jayson Werth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayson-werth/)

> [New York is large, glamorous, easy-going, kindly and incurious, but above all it is a crucible - because it is large enough to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ford-madox-ford/new-york-is-large-glamorous-easy-going-kindly-and-incurious-but-above/)

[Ford Madox Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ford-madox-ford/)

[Browse all 23,898 Enough quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enough/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Journalists say a thing that they know isn't true, in the hope that if they keep on saying it long enough it will be true.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Arnold Bennett"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-bennett/journalists-say-a-thing-that-they-know-isn-t-true-in-the-hope-that-if/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Enough"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-bennett/journalists-say-a-thing-that-they-know-isn-t-true-in-the-hope-that-if/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca8/arnold-bennett-3325_enough_journalists-say-a-thing-that-they-know-i_1503866.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca8/arnold-bennett-3325_enough_journalists-say-a-thing-that-they-know-i_1503866.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca8/arnold-bennett-3325_enough_journalists-say-a-thing-that-they-know-i_1503866.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Journalists say a thing that they know isn't true, in the hope that if they keep on saying it long enough it…” — Arnold Bennett",
                "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": "Arnold Bennett",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-bennett/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Journalists say a thing that they...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-bennett/journalists-say-a-thing-that-they-know-isn-t-true-in-the-hope-that-if/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-bennett/journalists-say-a-thing-that-they-know-isn-t-true-in-the-hope-that-if/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
