--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We in the press, by our power, can…" description: "\"We in the press, by our power, can actually undermine leadership.\" — Christiane Amanpour" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/501/christiane-amanpour-13266_journalism_we-in-the-press-by-our-power-can-actuall_2469646.jpg" --- # We in the press, by our power, can actually undermine… ![“We in the press, by our power, can actually undermine leadership.” quote by Christiane Amanpour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/501/christiane-amanpour-13266_journalism_we-in-the-press-by-our-power-can-actuall_2469646.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/501/christiane-amanpour-13266_journalism_we-in-the-press-by-our-power-can-actuall_2469646.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/501/christiane-amanpour-13266_journalism_we-in-the-press-by-our-power-can-actuall_2469646.jpg) > “We in the press, by our power, can actually undermine leadership.” [Christiane Amanpour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christiane-amanpour/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Media influence can weaken leaders when it challenges their authority or exposes flaws. **In simple terms:** Press power can destabilize leaders. Key Takeaway Use media responsibly to strengthen accountability. Themes media leadership accountability power public opinion Mood critical analytical Type observational commentary When to use this quote - elections - corporate governance - crisis management - public relations Key Concepts journalism political dynamics information flow Questions to Reflect On - How does press scrutiny affect leadership decisions? - When should media intervene in governance? A Different Perspective Media may also empower positive change, not just undermine. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Journalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journalism/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power/) ## Related quotes > [“When in leadership, never fail to follow the same standard you have put in place for others. There is nothing that will undermine leadership…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-s-felts/when-in-leadership-never-fail-to-follow-the-same-standard-you-have/) J.S. Felts > [Men habitually use only a small part of the power which they actually possess.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/men-habitually-use-only-a-small-part-of-the-power-which-they-actually/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [Speaking truth to power is actually a form of loyalty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-n-haass/speaking-truth-to-power-is-actually-a-form-of-loyalty/) [Richard N. Haass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-n-haass/) > [Much is written of the power of the Press, a power which may last but a day; by comparison little is heard of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-unwin/much-is-written-of-the-power-of-the-press-a-power-which-may-last-but/) [Stanley Unwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-unwin/) > [“The press has the power to stimulate people to clean up the environment prevent nuclear proliferation force crooked politicians out of office reduce poverty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-hargreaves/the-press-has-the-power-to-stimulate-people-to-clean-up-the/) [Ian Hargreaves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-hargreaves/) > [Teachers have power. We may cripple them by petty economics; by Government regulations, by the foolish criticism of an uninformed press; but their power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winifred-holtby/teachers-have-power-we-may-cripple-them-by-petty-economics-by/) [Winifred Holtby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winifred-holtby/) > [If I were to give liberty to the press, my power could not last three days.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/if-i-were-to-give-liberty-to-the-press-my-power-could-not-last-three/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [What the right-wing in the United States tries to do is undermine the press.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/what-the-right-wing-in-the-united-states-tries-to-do-is-undermine-the/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [A good ground rule for writing in any genre is, start with a form, then undermine its confidence in itself. Ask what it's afraid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-john-harrison/a-good-ground-rule-for-writing-in-any-genre-is-start-with-a-form-then/) [M. John Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-john-harrison/) > [Lies can be verbal or nonverbal, kindhearted or self-serving, devious or bald-faced; they can be lies of omission or lies of commission; they can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-marantz-henig/lies-can-be-verbal-or-nonverbal-kindhearted-or-self-serving-devious/) [Robin Marantz Henig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-marantz-henig/) > [I intend to be the president of all citizens of Macedonia, regardless of their ethnic or religious background, regardless of their political standing. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-trajkovski/i-intend-to-be-the-president-of-all-citizens-of-macedonia-regardless/) [Boris Trajkovski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-trajkovski/) > [Want to depose the government of a poor country with resources? Want to bash Muslims? Want to build support for American military interventions around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/want-to-depose-the-government-of-a-poor-country-with-resources-want/) [Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/) > [I have voted against only one of President Obama's nominees: Michael Froman, a Citigroup alumnus who is currently storming the halls of Congress as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-warren/i-have-voted-against-only-one-of-president-obama-s-nominees-michael/) [Elizabeth Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-warren/) > [No one can undermine national unity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivica-dacic/no-one-can-undermine-national-unity/) [Ivica Dacic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivica-dacic/) > [When you rely on incentives, you undermine virtues. Then when you discover that you actually need people who want to do the right thing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-schwartz/when-you-rely-on-incentives-you-undermine-virtues-then-when-you/) [Barry Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-schwartz/) ## More by Christiane Amanpour > [And then theres always the crying and the weeping that we hear-children, women, even men. And these images and these sounds are always with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christiane-amanpour/and-then-theres-always-the-crying-and-the-weeping-that-we-hear/) [Christiane Amanpour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christiane-amanpour/) > [In Bosnia, little children shot in the head by a guy who thinks it's okay to aim his gun at a child.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christiane-amanpour/in-bosnia-little-children-shot-in-the-head-by-a-guy-who-thinks-it-s/) [Christiane Amanpour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christiane-amanpour/) > [My view is that when lies become mixed up with the truth, it's a very dangerous world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christiane-amanpour/my-view-is-that-when-lies-become-mixed-up-with-the-truth-it-s-a-very/) [Christiane Amanpour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christiane-amanpour/) > [And I believe that good journalism, good television, can make our world a better place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christiane-amanpour/and-i-believe-that-good-journalism-good-television-can-make-our-world/) [Christiane Amanpour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christiane-amanpour/) > [I strongly believe that journalism is one of the most noble professions, because without an informed world, and without an informed society, we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christiane-amanpour/i-strongly-believe-that-journalism-is-one-of-the-most-noble/) [Christiane Amanpour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christiane-amanpour/) > [In Iran the whole reform and democracy movement has been based on the emerging free press.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christiane-amanpour/in-iran-the-whole-reform-and-democracy-movement-has-been-based-on-the/) [Christiane Amanpour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christiane-amanpour/) > [But to be self-obsessed is simply not o.k. for the most important country in the world, the United States, which affects every other country…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christiane-amanpour/but-to-be-self-obsessed-is-simply-not-o-k-for-the-most-important/) [Christiane Amanpour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christiane-amanpour/) > [Because if we the storytellers don't do this, then the bad people will win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christiane-amanpour/because-if-we-the-storytellers-don-t-do-this-then-the-bad-people-will/) [Christiane Amanpour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christiane-amanpour/) > [In emerging democracies like Russia, in authoritarian states like Iran or even Yugoslavia, journalists play a vital role in civil society. In fact, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christiane-amanpour/in-emerging-democracies-like-russia-in-authoritarian-states-like-iran/) [Christiane Amanpour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christiane-amanpour/) > [Our industry has invested so much money in technology that perhaps it's time to invest in talent, in people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christiane-amanpour/our-industry-has-invested-so-much-money-in-technology-that-perhaps-it/) [Christiane Amanpour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christiane-amanpour/) > [What we do and say and show really matters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christiane-amanpour/what-we-do-and-say-and-show-really-matters/) [Christiane Amanpour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christiane-amanpour/) > [But 17 years ago, I arrived at CNN with a suitcase, with my bicycle, and with about 100 dollars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christiane-amanpour/but-17-years-ago-i-arrived-at-cnn-with-a-suitcase-with-my-bicycle-and/) [Christiane Amanpour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christiane-amanpour/) > [If you have a child, I said, you have a responsibility at least to stay alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christiane-amanpour/if-you-have-a-child-i-said-you-have-a-responsibility-at-least-to-stay/) [Christiane Amanpour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christiane-amanpour/) > [I am no longer sure that when I go out there and do my job it'll even see the light of air, if the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christiane-amanpour/i-am-no-longer-sure-that-when-i-go-out-there-and-do-my-job-it-ll-even/) [Christiane Amanpour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christiane-amanpour/) > [What you do, what you say, how you react to critical situations defines not just the moment, but it defines and shapes you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christiane-amanpour/what-you-do-what-you-say-how-you-react-to-critical-situations-defines/) [Christiane Amanpour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christiane-amanpour/) [Explore all 51 Christiane Amanpour quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christiane-amanpour/) ## More Journalism quotes > [A flourishing, morally credible media is a vital component in the maintenance of genuinely public talk, argument about common good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-williams/a-flourishing-morally-credible-media-is-a-vital-component-in-the/) [Rowan Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-williams/) > [Television, radio, social media. The 24/7 news cycle plows forward mercilessly on our desks, in our cars and in our pockets. Thousands and thousands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-prince/television-radio-social-media-the-24-7-news-cycle-plows-forward/) [Joseph Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-prince/) > [I don't think about the press or the crowds or the other leaders of the race. The focus is only on myself. As soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magdalena-neuner/i-don-t-think-about-the-press-or-the-crowds-or-the-other-leaders-of/) [Magdalena Neuner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magdalena-neuner/) > [Having small children and being an investigative reporter would seem like a difficult mix, but it worked well for me. I was often working…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-abramson/having-small-children-and-being-an-investigative-reporter-would-seem/) [Jill Abramson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-abramson/) > [It goes to show you how we in the press so often miss the big stories that are right under our noses. There is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/it-goes-to-show-you-how-we-in-the-press-so-often-miss-the-big-stories/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [I have always been a big meta guy because I think the way journalism is practiced in Washington, and the way everyone sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-leibovich/i-have-always-been-a-big-meta-guy-because-i-think-the-way-journalism/) [Mark Leibovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-leibovich/) > [I didn't get how big it was until I went home, turned on the television and saw it on all the news, and later…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/i-didn-t-get-how-big-it-was-until-i-went-home-turned-on-the/) [Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/) > [One lesson to learn is that the press and the broadcasters are not neutral. And it seems we have to learn it each time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-loach/one-lesson-to-learn-is-that-the-press-and-the-broadcasters-are-not/) [Ken Loach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-loach/) > [If you want to change something by Tuesday, theater is no good. Journalism is what does that. But, if you want to just alter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/if-you-want-to-change-something-by-tuesday-theater-is-no-good/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [Newspapers have an extraordinary amount of local content, including real estate listings and restaurant reviews.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimbal-musk/newspapers-have-an-extraordinary-amount-of-local-content-including/) [Kimbal Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimbal-musk/) > [If, for instance, they have heard something from the postman, they attribute it to a semi-official statement; if they have fallen into conversation with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evelyn-waugh/if-for-instance-they-have-heard-something-from-the-postman-they/) [Evelyn Waugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evelyn-waugh/) > [In essence, I see the value of journalism as resting in a twofold mission: informing the public of accurate and vital information, and its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/in-essence-i-see-the-value-of-journalism-as-resting-in-a-twofold/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [It’s a shameful moment for U.S. media when it insists on being subservient to the grotesque propaganda agencies of a violent, aggressive state.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/it-s-a-shameful-moment-for-u-s-media-when-it-insists-on-being/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Drill in exact translation is an excellent way of disposing the mind against that looseness and exaggeration with which the sensationalists have corrupted our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-weaver/drill-in-exact-translation-is-an-excellent-way-of-disposing-the-mind/) [Richard M. Weaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-weaver/) > [People think they're getting objective information, but they're not. They're getting news wrapped up in opinion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-samuels/people-think-they-re-getting-objective-information-but-they-re-not/) [Lynn Samuels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-samuels/) [Browse all 8,189 Journalism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journalism/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We in the press, by our power, can actually undermine leadership.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Christiane Amanpour" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christiane-amanpour/we-in-the-press-by-our-power-can-actually-undermine-leadership/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Journalism" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christiane-amanpour/we-in-the-press-by-our-power-can-actually-undermine-leadership/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/501/christiane-amanpour-13266_journalism_we-in-the-press-by-our-power-can-actuall_2469646.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/501/christiane-amanpour-13266_journalism_we-in-the-press-by-our-power-can-actuall_2469646.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/501/christiane-amanpour-13266_journalism_we-in-the-press-by-our-power-can-actuall_2469646.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We in the press, by our power, can actually undermine leadership.” — Christiane Amanpour", "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": "Christiane Amanpour", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christiane-amanpour/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We in the press, by our...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christiane-amanpour/we-in-the-press-by-our-power-can-actually-undermine-leadership/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christiane-amanpour/we-in-the-press-by-our-power-can-actually-undermine-leadership/#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 } } ] } ```