--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Whether it's long-form journalism or…" description: "\"Whether it's long-form journalism or investigative journalism, it's no fun to just be the guy diagnosing the problem.\" — Clay Shirky" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95d/clay-shirky-3364_fun_whether-it-s-long-form-journalism-or-inv_1837140.jpg" --- # Whether it's long-form journalism or investigative… ![“Whether it's long-form journalism or investigative journalism, it's no fun to just be the guy diagnosing the problem.” quote by Clay Shirky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95d/clay-shirky-3364_fun_whether-it-s-long-form-journalism-or-inv_1837140.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95d/clay-shirky-3364_fun_whether-it-s-long-form-journalism-or-inv_1837140.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95d/clay-shirky-3364_fun_whether-it-s-long-form-journalism-or-inv_1837140.jpg) > “Whether it's long-form journalism or investigative journalism, it's no fun to just be the guy diagnosing the problem.” [Clay Shirky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clay-shirky/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Journalists should go beyond diagnosing problems and actively shape solutions. **In simple terms:** Reporters need to act, not just critique. Key Takeaway Engage in solution‑oriented reporting. Themes journalism activism media responsibility Mood critical thoughtful Type media philosophical When to use this quote - investigative reporting - community journalism - policy advocacy Key Concepts Public sphere civic engagement media ethics Questions to Reflect On - What responsibilities do journalists have beyond reporting? - How can they balance critique and action? A Different Perspective Focusing on solutions may risk bias or oversimplification. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Form Journalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/form-journalism-1212151/) [Fun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fun/) [Guy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guy/) [Guy Diagnosing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guy-diagnosing-2320522/) [Investigative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/investigative/) [Investigative journalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/investigative-journalism/) [Journalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journalism/) [Journalism Investigative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journalism-investigative-2320521/) [Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/just/) [Just be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/just-be/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [Whether](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whether/) ## Related quotes > [Anyone who does investigative journalism is not in it for the money. Investigative journalism by nature is the most work intensive kind of journalism…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-brown/anyone-who-does-investigative-journalism-is-not-in-it-for-the-money/) [Ethan Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-brown/) > [Al journalism should be investigative, from football to cookery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-pilger/al-journalism-should-be-investigative-from-football-to-cookery/) [John Pilger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-pilger/) > [The Huffington Post Investigative Fund's goal is to produce a broad range of investigative journalism created by both staff reporters and freelance writers, with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arianna-huffington/the-huffington-post-investigative-fund-s-goal-is-to-produce-a-broad/) [Arianna Huffington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arianna-huffington/) > [Investigative journalism is never mass-based; it's very focused, and you want people who are passionate about it to take it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-ressa/investigative-journalism-is-never-mass-based-it-s-very-focused-and/) [Maria Ressa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-ressa/) > [Seymour Hersh is one of the giants of investigative journalism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/seymour-hersh-is-one-of-the-giants-of-investigative-journalism/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [My investigative journalism is great; I know I get results.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-loomer/my-investigative-journalism-is-great-i-know-i-get-results/) [Laura Loomer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-loomer/) > [There's some irony in playing a journalist after some of the stuff that has been written about me, but it's a great profession, particularly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-nesbitt/there-s-some-irony-in-playing-a-journalist-after-some-of-the-stuff/) [James Nesbitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-nesbitt/) > [The focus of entertainment is taking away from what the public needs as news. I think investigative journalism will always be important and always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-redford/the-focus-of-entertainment-is-taking-away-from-what-the-public-needs/) [Robert Redford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-redford/) > [As someone who has spent a lot of her career as an investigative reporter, I'll confess that a frustration of mine has always been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-abramson/as-someone-who-has-spent-a-lot-of-her-career-as-an-investigative/) [Jill Abramson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-abramson/) > [The amount of money that's being put into long-form investigative journalism has become less and less.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-heineman/the-amount-of-money-that-s-being-put-into-long-form-investigative/) [Matthew Heineman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-heineman/) > [There's a lot of hand-wringing going on about the death of journalism and particularly the death of investigative journalism. What I see is that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-brooke/there-s-a-lot-of-hand-wringing-going-on-about-the-death-of-journalism/) [Heather Brooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-brooke/) > [What passes for investigative journalism is finding somebody with their pants down - literally or otherwise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-scheer/what-passes-for-investigative-journalism-is-finding-somebody-with/) [Robert Scheer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-scheer/) > [Investigative journalism has been relegated to a very, very tiny space in America. We don't really have much investigative journalism left. And the last…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-f-kennedy-jr/investigative-journalism-has-been-relegated-to-a-very-very-tiny-space/) [Robert F. Kennedy, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-f-kennedy-jr/) > [It's very difficult to measure the impact on policy of any investigative journalism. You hope it matters to let a little more truth loose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-moyers/it-s-very-difficult-to-measure-the-impact-on-policy-of-any/) [Bill Moyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-moyers/) > [In order to have quality journalism you need to have a good income stream, and no Internet model has produced a way of generating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/in-order-to-have-quality-journalism-you-need-to-have-a-good-income/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) ## More by Clay Shirky > [ “\[N\]ew technology enables new kinds of group-forming.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clay-shirky/n-ew-technology-enables-new-kinds-of-group-forming/) [Clay Shirky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clay-shirky/) > [To have a discussion about the plusses and minuses of various forms of group action, though, is going to require discussing the current tools…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clay-shirky/to-have-a-discussion-about-the-plusses-and-minuses-of-various-forms/) [Clay Shirky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clay-shirky/) > [“Mass amateurization of publishing makes mass amateurization of filtering a forced move.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clay-shirky/mass-amateurization-of-publishing-makes-mass-amateurization-of/) [Clay Shirky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clay-shirky/) > [“Information sharing produces shared awareness among the participants, and collaborative production relies on shared creation, but collective action creates shared responsibility, by tying the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clay-shirky/information-sharing-produces-shared-awareness-among-the-participants/) [Clay Shirky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clay-shirky/) > [More interesting than thinking about what's possible in 10 years is thinking what's possible now but that no one has built.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clay-shirky/more-interesting-than-thinking-about-what-s-possible-in-10-years-is/) [Clay Shirky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clay-shirky/) > [“Digital networks are increasing the fluidity of all media. The old choice between one-way public media (like books and movies) and two-way private media…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clay-shirky/digital-networks-are-increasing-the-fluidity-of-all-media-the-old/) [Clay Shirky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clay-shirky/) > [Even with the sacred printing press, we got erotic novels 150 years before we got scientific journals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clay-shirky/even-with-the-sacred-printing-press-we-got-erotic-novels-150-years/) [Clay Shirky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clay-shirky/) > [Tools get socially interesting after they're no longer technologically interesting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clay-shirky/tools-get-socially-interesting-after-they-re-no-longer/) [Clay Shirky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clay-shirky/) > [Carpooling is important for urban density, air pollution and other reasons, but carpooling is not the kind of thing that actually changes the energy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clay-shirky/carpooling-is-important-for-urban-density-air-pollution-and-other/) [Clay Shirky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clay-shirky/) > [If what you're doing is valuable for people, they will find a way to pay you to keep doing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clay-shirky/if-what-you-re-doing-is-valuable-for-people-they-will-find-a-way-to/) [Clay Shirky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clay-shirky/) > [Multi-taskers often think they are like gym rats, bulking up their ability to juggle tasks, when in fact they are like alcoholics, degrading their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clay-shirky/multi-taskers-often-think-they-are-like-gym-rats-bulking-up-their/) [Clay Shirky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clay-shirky/) > [Civic participants don't aim to make life better merely for members of the group. 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More media always means more arguing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clay-shirky/the-more-ideas-there-are-in-circulation-the-more-ideas-there-are-for/) [Clay Shirky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clay-shirky/) [Explore all 132 Clay Shirky quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clay-shirky/) ## More Fun quotes > [It's really fun and challenging to build things that have never been built before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mason/it-s-really-fun-and-challenging-to-build-things-that-have-never-been/) [Hilary Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mason/) > [My first ever job after college was as a flight attendant. I wanted to travel and could not afford it, so I decided to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-winspear/my-first-ever-job-after-college-was-as-a-flight-attendant-i-wanted-to/) [Jacqueline Winspear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-winspear/) > [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/) [G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/) > [I think taking a hookline of a hit song and making a new song is fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tulsi-kumar/i-think-taking-a-hookline-of-a-hit-song-and-making-a-new-song-is-fun/) [Tulsi Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tulsi-kumar/) > [I enjoy upsetting the right people. I love poking fun at earnest censors. I want to push the bounds of what can be said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milo-yiannopoulos/i-enjoy-upsetting-the-right-people-i-love-poking-fun-at-earnest/) [Milo Yiannopoulos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milo-yiannopoulos/) > [I really like John McCain. He's an awesome dude and was a lot of fun when he hosted "SNL." I'd love to see a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-fey/i-really-like-john-mccain-he-s-an-awesome-dude-and-was-a-lot-of-fun/) [Tina Fey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-fey/) > [Actors don't hate acting. Most people don't hate acting! Whether you're a child mucking around with your friends or a grown up being paid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liv-hewson/actors-don-t-hate-acting-most-people-don-t-hate-acting-whether-you-re/) [Liv Hewson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liv-hewson/) > [I guess I'm attracted to things that are fun. I guess what is fun about this role in 'Suburgatory' is that there's a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-tudyk/i-guess-i-m-attracted-to-things-that-are-fun-i-guess-what-is-fun/) [Alan Tudyk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-tudyk/) > [We did an episode where she goes out to get a job and she gets fired because she's not good. They hire a babysitter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-heaton/we-did-an-episode-where-she-goes-out-to-get-a-job-and-she-gets-fired/) [Patricia Heaton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-heaton/) > [I have no physical genius about me. I can't dribble a ball and run at the same time, I can't do lay-ups - I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-mullins/i-have-no-physical-genius-about-me-i-can-t-dribble-a-ball-and-run-at/) [Rich Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-mullins/) > [I can't imagine not working, really. I just think work's more fun than fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-quant/i-can-t-imagine-not-working-really-i-just-think-work-s-more-fun-than/) [Mary Quant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-quant/) > [The work, the work, the work. This is what the business is all about. This is the fun, the glory, the pleasure. 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It was fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lupita-nyong-o/i-loved-duping-my-parents-i-liked-manipulating-them-it-was-a-way-for/) [Lupita Nyong'o](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lupita-nyong-o/) [Browse all 15,947 Fun quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fun/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Whether it's long-form journalism or investigative journalism, it's no fun to just be the guy diagnosing the problem.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Clay Shirky" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clay-shirky/whether-it-s-long-form-journalism-or-investigative-journalism-it-s-no/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Fun" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clay-shirky/whether-it-s-long-form-journalism-or-investigative-journalism-it-s-no/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95d/clay-shirky-3364_fun_whether-it-s-long-form-journalism-or-inv_1837140.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95d/clay-shirky-3364_fun_whether-it-s-long-form-journalism-or-inv_1837140.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95d/clay-shirky-3364_fun_whether-it-s-long-form-journalism-or-inv_1837140.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Whether it's long-form journalism or investigative journalism, it's no fun to just be the guy diagnosing the…” — Clay Shirky", "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": "Clay Shirky", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clay-shirky/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Whether it's long-form journalism or investigative...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clay-shirky/whether-it-s-long-form-journalism-or-investigative-journalism-it-s-no/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clay-shirky/whether-it-s-long-form-journalism-or-investigative-journalism-it-s-no/#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 } } ] } ```