--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You can't serve the public good without…" description: "\"You can't serve the public good without the truth as a bottom line.\" — Carl Bernstein" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e85/carl-bernstein-10988_audience_you-can-t-serve-the-public-good-without_1026955.jpg" --- # You can't serve the public good without the truth as a… ![“You can't serve the public good without the truth as a bottom line.” quote by Carl Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e85/carl-bernstein-10988_audience_you-can-t-serve-the-public-good-without_1026955.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e85/carl-bernstein-10988_audience_you-can-t-serve-the-public-good-without_1026955.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e85/carl-bernstein-10988_audience_you-can-t-serve-the-public-good-without_1026955.jpg) > “You can't serve the public good without the truth as a bottom line.” [Carl Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-bernstein/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Public service cannot be effective without truth as its foundation. **In simple terms:** Truth is essential for serving the public. Key Takeaway Prioritize transparency in civic duties. Themes journalism ethics governance Mood serious determined Type ethical practical When to use this quote - government policy - non‑profit work - media reporting Key Concepts accountability integrity information accuracy Questions to Reflect On - How do you ensure truthfulness in your work? - What safeguards protect truth in public institutions? A Different Perspective Truth can be politicized, complicating its role. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Audience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience/) [Bottom line](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bottom-line/) [Honesty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honesty/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Journalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journalism/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Meaningful work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meaningful-work/) [Public good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/public-good/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [My goal is first of all to promote a public debate about where markets serve the public good and where they don't belong. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/my-goal-is-first-of-all-to-promote-a-public-debate-about-where/) [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) > [The truth is, there is no line. There's only your life, how you mess it up, and who is there to save you. Or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/the-truth-is-there-is-no-line-there-s-only-your-life-how-you-mess-it/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [When your truth is in line with God's Word, whatever you speak, will happen and the light of God will remain upon you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mark/when-your-truth-is-in-line-with-god-s-word-whatever-you-speak-will/) [Terry Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-mark/) > [Things that are good are good, and if one is responding to that goodness one is in contact with a truth from which one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/things-that-are-good-are-good-and-if-one-is-responding-to-that/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [“What good is my truth? My truth means nothing. What if this guy with the gun comes from a planet in a whole different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/what-good-is-my-truth-my-truth-means-nothing-what-if-this-guy-with/) [Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/) > [If you seek what is honorable, what is good, what is the truth of your life, all the other things you could not imagine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/if-you-seek-what-is-honorable-what-is-good-what-is-the-truth-of-your/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [If fun is good, truth is still better, and love best of all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/if-fun-is-good-truth-is-still-better-and-love-best-of-all/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [Someone said I'm too good for you . But the truth is I think you're to good for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/someone-said-i-m-too-good-for-you-but-the-truth-is-i-think-you-re-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [My gripe is not with lovers of the truth but with truth herself. What succor, what consolation is there in truth, compared to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-setterfield/my-gripe-is-not-with-lovers-of-the-truth-but-with-truth-herself-what/) [Diane Setterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-setterfield/) > [Evil is, good or truth misplaced.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/evil-is-good-or-truth-misplaced/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [A lie told well is just as good as the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-lehrer/a-lie-told-well-is-just-as-good-as-the-truth/) [Jonah Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-lehrer/) > [A good thing which prevents us from enjoying a greater good is in truth an evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/a-good-thing-which-prevents-us-from-enjoying-a-greater-good-is-in/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [“I found goodness in the place that I once believed to be evil; and found evil in the place that I once always knew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-joybell-c/i-found-goodness-in-the-place-that-i-once-believed-to-be-evil-and/) [C. JoyBell C](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-joybell-c/) > [However long I serve in public life, I'll stand on that basic liberty of the right to keep and bear arms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pence/however-long-i-serve-in-public-life-i-ll-stand-on-that-basic-liberty/) [Mike Pence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pence/) > [When people run a business and open their door to the public, they must serve the public. That doesn't mean they can't say whatever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-christie/when-people-run-a-business-and-open-their-door-to-the-public-they/) [Chris Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-christie/) ## More by Carl Bernstein > [I think all good reporting is the same thing - the best attainable version of the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-bernstein/i-think-all-good-reporting-is-the-same-thing-the-best-attainable/) [Carl Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-bernstein/) > [ The reality is that the media are probably the most powerful of all our institutions today and they, or rather we \[journalists\], too often… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-bernstein/the-reality-is-that-the-media-are-probably-the-most-powerful-of-all/) [Carl Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-bernstein/) > [If you are a great news organization, you can't have the best obtainable version of the truth if your vision and your scale is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-bernstein/if-you-are-a-great-news-organization-you-can-t-have-the-best/) [Carl Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-bernstein/) > [“The people of the United States are entitled to assume that their President is telling the truth. The pattern of misrepresentation and half-truths that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-bernstein/the-people-of-the-united-states-are-entitled-to-assume-that-their/) [Carl Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-bernstein/) > [“The August 1 story had carried their joint byline; the day afterward, Woodward asked Sussman if Bernstein's name could appear with his on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-bernstein/the-august-1-story-had-carried-their-joint-byline-the-day-afterward/) [Carl Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-bernstein/) > [The failures of the press have contributed immensely to the emergence of a talk-show nation, in which public discourse is reduced to ranting and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-bernstein/the-failures-of-the-press-have-contributed-immensely-to-the-emergence/) [Carl Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-bernstein/) > [The most important ethical issues and the most difficult ones are the human ones because a reporter has enormous power to hurt people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-bernstein/the-most-important-ethical-issues-and-the-most-difficult-ones-are-the/) [Carl Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-bernstein/) > [There had always been black people in and out of our house, and from the outset I had been taught that for them life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-bernstein/there-had-always-been-black-people-in-and-out-of-our-house-and-from/) [Carl Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-bernstein/) > [“The managing editor shared Bernstein's fondness for doping things out on the basis of sketchy information. At the same time, he was cautious about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-bernstein/the-managing-editor-shared-bernstein-s-fondness-for-doping-things-out/) [Carl Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-bernstein/) > [Donald Trump is american neo-fascist. The word "neo" meaning "new", has a lot to do with it, a new kind of fascist in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-bernstein/donald-trump-is-american-neo-fascist-the-word-neo-meaning-new-has-a/) [Carl Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-bernstein/) > [For the first time, the weird and the stupid and the coarse are becoming our cultural norms, even our cultural ideal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-bernstein/for-the-first-time-the-weird-and-the-stupid-and-the-coarse-are/) [Carl Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-bernstein/) > [The Congress is a dysfunctional institution; it's broken. One of our three branches of government is broken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-bernstein/the-congress-is-a-dysfunctional-institution-it-s-broken-one-of-our/) [Carl Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-bernstein/) > [“They walked across 15th Street to the Madison Hotel's Montpelier Room, an opulent French restaurant. Bradlee asked for a corner table, and began the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-bernstein/they-walked-across-15th-street-to-the-madison-hotel-s-montpelier-room/) [Carl Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-bernstein/) > [“Rosenfeld runs the metropolitan staff, the Post's largest, like a football coach. He prods his players, letting them know that he has promised the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-bernstein/rosenfeld-runs-the-metropolitan-staff-the-post-s-largest-like-a/) [Carl Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-bernstein/) > [“The story was solid. Howard Simons ordered the front page remade for the second edition. Bernstein was more shaken by all this than by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-bernstein/the-story-was-solid-howard-simons-ordered-the-front-page-remade-for/) [Carl Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-bernstein/) [Explore all 62 Carl Bernstein quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-bernstein/) ## More Audience quotes > [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/if-the-audience-likes-your-work-if-they-like-you-they-don-t-think/) [Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/) > [It's those moments, those odd moments that you look for and sometimes by creating this kind of loose atmosphere you find those little moments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-levinson/it-s-those-moments-those-odd-moments-that-you-look-for-and-sometimes/) [Barry Levinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-levinson/) > [I can skate beautifully. While performing on ice I always try to please the audience and to win as well. Being artistic is very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evgeni-plushenko/i-can-skate-beautifully-while-performing-on-ice-i-always-try-to/) [Evgeni Plushenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evgeni-plushenko/) > [One of the best moments of any Liars show is hearing the crowd squawk 'We're doomed! We're doomed!' on cue during 'We Fenced Other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-sheffield/one-of-the-best-moments-of-any-liars-show-is-hearing-the-crowd-squawk/) [Rob Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-sheffield/) > [It's the adrenaline rush you only get from being in front of an audience. It's addictive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raphael-saadiq/it-s-the-adrenaline-rush-you-only-get-from-being-in-front-of-an/) [Raphael Saadiq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raphael-saadiq/) > [If I had to speak in front of a Korean audience, I would be hard pressed to sound other than a little girl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/an-na/if-i-had-to-speak-in-front-of-a-korean-audience-i-would-be-hard/) [An Na](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/an-na/) > [The liveness of theater, and the excitement of experiencing it alongside an audience, is something you can't get at home. That makes the theater…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-blaemire/the-liveness-of-theater-and-the-excitement-of-experiencing-it/) [Nick Blaemire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-blaemire/) > [One of the things that touches me most when I play for an audience is that although we may be unable to communicate in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hough/one-of-the-things-that-touches-me-most-when-i-play-for-an-audience-is/) [Stephen Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hough/) > [I have to feel the audience. I enjoy that feeling of community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-gahan/i-have-to-feel-the-audience-i-enjoy-that-feeling-of-community/) [Dave Gahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-gahan/) > [When you lived it for years and years and years and seen different characters just get pummeled and squashed because 'I said so,' it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arn-anderson/when-you-lived-it-for-years-and-years-and-years-and-seen-different/) [Arn Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arn-anderson/) > [“During the first few minutes of your presentation, your job is to assure the audience members that you are not going to waste their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-ludwig-and-greg-owen-boger/during-the-first-few-minutes-of-your-presentation-your-job-is-to/) [Dale Ludwig and Greg Owen-Boger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-ludwig-and-greg-owen-boger/) > [Donald Trump is a different ball of wax. I've been trying to say for I don't know how many months now that the traditional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/donald-trump-is-a-different-ball-of-wax-i-ve-been-trying-to-say-for-i/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [I don't think about who the audience is for my books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling-2/i-don-t-think-about-who-the-audience-is-for-my-books/) [J. K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling-2/) > [I feel I have been playing all primary characters. And if your character forms a connect with the audience, it doesn't matter if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angad-bedi/i-feel-i-have-been-playing-all-primary-characters-and-if-your/) [Angad Bedi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angad-bedi/) > [When I was playing piano, it was like, 'I'm going to write a song using all the white keys.' My music director, who knew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tesh/when-i-was-playing-piano-it-was-like-i-m-going-to-write-a-song-using/) [John Tesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tesh/) [Browse all 9,118 Audience quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You can't serve the public good without the truth as a bottom line.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Carl Bernstein" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-bernstein/you-can-t-serve-the-public-good-without-the-truth-as-a-bottom-line/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Audience" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-bernstein/you-can-t-serve-the-public-good-without-the-truth-as-a-bottom-line/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e85/carl-bernstein-10988_audience_you-can-t-serve-the-public-good-without_1026955.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e85/carl-bernstein-10988_audience_you-can-t-serve-the-public-good-without_1026955.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e85/carl-bernstein-10988_audience_you-can-t-serve-the-public-good-without_1026955.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You can't serve the public good without the truth as a bottom line.” — Carl Bernstein", "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": "Carl Bernstein", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-bernstein/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "You can't serve the public good...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-bernstein/you-can-t-serve-the-public-good-without-the-truth-as-a-bottom-line/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-bernstein/you-can-t-serve-the-public-good-without-the-truth-as-a-bottom-line/#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 } } ] } ```