--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As someone who's been covering…" description: "\"As someone who's been covering presidential campaigns since the 1950s, I have no delusions about political reporting. Candidates bargaining access to g..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/410/dan-rather-2779_access_as-someone-who-s-been-covering-president_859372.png" --- # As someone who's been covering presidential campaigns… ![“As someone who's been covering presidential campaigns since the 1950s, I have no delusions about political reporting. Candidates bargaining access to get the kind of news coverage they want is nothing new.” quote by Dan Rather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/410/dan-rather-2779_access_as-someone-who-s-been-covering-president_859372.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/410/dan-rather-2779_access_as-someone-who-s-been-covering-president_859372.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/410/dan-rather-2779_access_as-someone-who-s-been-covering-president_859372.png) > “As someone who's been covering presidential campaigns since the 1950s, I have no delusions about political reporting. Candidates bargaining access to get the kind of news coverage they want is nothing new.” [Dan Rather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-rather/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Political reporting is shaped by candidates trading access for favorable coverage, a long‑standing practice. **In simple terms:** Candidates trade access for coverage. Key Takeaway Recognize media bias and seek multiple sources. Themes media politics ethics power Mood cautious critical Type analytical observational When to use this quote - journalism - public opinion - media literacy Key Concepts access trade news cycles campaign strategy Questions to Reflect On - How does access influence the stories you read? - What can journalists do to maintain independence? A Different Perspective Access deals can limit critical scrutiny of candidates. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Access](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/access/) [Campaigns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/campaigns/) [Delusion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/delusion/) [Journalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journalism/) [News](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/news/) [News coverage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/news-coverage/) [Nothing new](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nothing-new/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Presidential campaign](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/presidential-campaign/) ## Related quotes > [Truly, if you can't cover a five-car pile-up on Route 128, you should not be covering a presidential campaign.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-ivins/truly-if-you-can-t-cover-a-five-car-pile-up-on-route-128-you-should/) [Molly Ivins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-ivins/) > [Covering two presidential campaigns for CNN was great fun, especially because of remarkable friends throughout the entire political unit, especially Mark Preston.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-henry/covering-two-presidential-campaigns-for-cnn-was-great-fun-especially/) [Ed Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-henry/) > [No matter what name we give it or how we judge it, a candidate's character is central to political reporting because it is central…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-mudd/no-matter-what-name-we-give-it-or-how-we-judge-it-a-candidate-s/) [Roger Mudd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-mudd/) > [Political reporting is too often trivialised, treated as a soap opera based in Westminster, rather than placed in a broader social or economic context.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-jones/political-reporting-is-too-often-trivialised-treated-as-a-soap-opera/) [Owen Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-jones/) > [I sought in political reporting what Galsworthy in another context had called "the significant trifle" - the bit of dialogue, the overlooked fact, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i-f-stone/i-sought-in-political-reporting-what-galsworthy-in-another-context/) [I. F. Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/i-f-stone/) > [Even when political reporting is not reduced to personality, political photography is. An article might offer depth and complexity, but is illustrated with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-monbiot/even-when-political-reporting-is-not-reduced-to-personality-political/) [George Monbiot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-monbiot/) > [The news is challenging right now. One hard thing about it is that often things don't lend themselves to good explanations or we don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-klein/the-news-is-challenging-right-now-one-hard-thing-about-it-is-that/) [Ezra Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-klein/) > [The journalists in America are no longer covering critical stories. Investigative journalism is gone. Foreign-news coverage is gone. The press is owned by five…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-f-kennedy-jr/the-journalists-in-america-are-no-longer-covering-critical-stories/) [Robert F. Kennedy, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-f-kennedy-jr/) > [The president and other government officials denounce school violence, yet still advocate for endless undeclared wars abroad and easy abortion at home. U.S. drone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/the-president-and-other-government-officials-denounce-school-violence/) [Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) > [The Harding/Kerrigan saga was one of the first feeding-frenzy stories that would forever change news coverage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connie-chung/the-harding-kerrigan-saga-was-one-of-the-first-feeding-frenzy-stories/) [Connie Chung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/connie-chung/) > [These communities that are losing local news coverage are losing something deeper. They're losing a connection to American democracy. And those connections must be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-stelter/these-communities-that-are-losing-local-news-coverage-are-losing/) [Brian Stelter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-stelter/) > [“The news coverage was as controlled and accurate as a fire hose wielded by a preschooler.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jem-fox/the-news-coverage-was-as-controlled-and-accurate-as-a-fire-hose/) Jem Fox > [The whole problem with news on television comes down to this: all the words uttered in an hour of news coverage could be printed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/the-whole-problem-with-news-on-television-comes-down-to-this-all-the/) [Neil Postman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/) > [Even wars, big conflicts that have drawn a lot of news coverage, sometimes seem to me to have a center that hasn't been described,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-finnegan/even-wars-big-conflicts-that-have-drawn-a-lot-of-news-coverage/) [William Finnegan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-finnegan/) > [I think most people live in a space where they are looking for meaning in life and good in the world and that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryn-kagan/i-think-most-people-live-in-a-space-where-they-are-looking-for/) [Daryn Kagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryn-kagan/) ## More by Dan Rather > [Americans will put up with anything provided it doesn't block traffic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-rather/americans-will-put-up-with-anything-provided-it-doesn-t-block-traffic/) [Dan Rather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-rather/) > [“a democracy requires open access to ideas. It requires a willingness to struggle and learn, to question our own suppositions and biases, to open…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-rather/a-democracy-requires-open-access-to-ideas-it-requires-a-willingness/) [Dan Rather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-rather/) > [ “\[I\]nclusion, not assimilation, should be the key concept in seeking, ever seeking, a more perfect national union. Our own history has shown that we… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-rather/i-nclusion-not-assimilation-should-be-the-key-concept-in-seeking-ever/) [Dan Rather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-rather/) > [One of the most important roles of our journalists is to be watchdogs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-rather/one-of-the-most-important-roles-of-our-journalists-is-to-be-watchdogs/) [Dan Rather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-rather/) > [ He \[Mikhail Gorbachev\] has, as many great leaders have, impressive eyes…There's a kind of laser-beam stare, a forced quality, you get from Gorbachev that… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-rather/he-mikhail-gorbachev-has-as-many-great-leaders-have-impressive-eyes/) [Dan Rather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-rather/) > [I have tried to remain a working, cutting-edge journalist and I don't do it the way everybody else does it. And I think that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-rather/i-have-tried-to-remain-a-working-cutting-edge-journalist-and-i-don-t/) [Dan Rather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-rather/) > [They may have turned this up, whether you had the Paula Jones case or not. But again maybe not, but again that's like if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-rather/they-may-have-turned-this-up-whether-you-had-the-paula-jones-case-or/) [Dan Rather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-rather/) > [Are the Democrats going to dance the mandate Macarena?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-rather/are-the-democrats-going-to-dance-the-mandate-macarena/) [Dan Rather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-rather/) > [Covering the civil-rights movement was a mind- and eye-opener for me. Houston was a segregated society, as was Texas as a whole - some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-rather/covering-the-civil-rights-movement-was-a-mind-and-eye-opener-for-me/) [Dan Rather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-rather/) > [Those market researchers... are playing games with you and me and with this entire country. Their so-called samples of opinion are no more accurate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-rather/those-market-researchers-are-playing-games-with-you-and-me-and-with/) [Dan Rather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-rather/) > [Don't taunt the alligator until after you've crossed the creek.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-rather/don-t-taunt-the-alligator-until-after-you-ve-crossed-the-creek/) [Dan Rather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-rather/) > [College is like a woman: you work so hard to get in, and nine months later you wish you'd never come. We used to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-rather/college-is-like-a-woman-you-work-so-hard-to-get-in-and-nine-months/) [Dan Rather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-rather/) > [Despite what many Americans think, most Soviets do not yearn for capitalism or Western-style democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-rather/despite-what-many-americans-think-most-soviets-do-not-yearn-for/) [Dan Rather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-rather/) > [It's the American way: if you don't vote, you don't get to whine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-rather/it-s-the-american-way-if-you-don-t-vote-you-don-t-get-to-whine/) [Dan Rather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-rather/) > [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/) [Explore all 150 Dan Rather quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-rather/) ## More Access quotes > [Conservatism is not about leaving people behind. Conservatism is about empowering people to catch up, to give them the tools at their disposable that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/conservatism-is-not-about-leaving-people-behind-conservatism-is-about/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [You can disseminate your art, and it's all such easy access now. The upside to it is that more people are creating than ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-clarke/you-can-disseminate-your-art-and-it-s-all-such-easy-access-now-the/) [Stanley Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-clarke/) > [It's the same with this idea of a literate public, and also of a democracy in which people have access to and really read…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hass/it-s-the-same-with-this-idea-of-a-literate-public-and-also-of-a/) [Robert Hass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-hass/) > [My hope is that if people have the knowledge, and if they actually see where their food comes from and have access to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/my-hope-is-that-if-people-have-the-knowledge-and-if-they-actually-see/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [I don't think it's always a sign of respect for persons (inside or outside of fiction) to pretend to be able to represent, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-lerner/i-don-t-think-it-s-always-a-sign-of-respect-for-persons-inside-or/) [Ben Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-lerner/) > [Leslie Stein's comics give readers privileged access to a complete and wholly original world of gently skewed wonders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-woodring/leslie-stein-s-comics-give-readers-privileged-access-to-a-complete/) [Jim Woodring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-woodring/) > [The best way to fight poverty is to empower people through access to quality education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-legend/the-best-way-to-fight-poverty-is-to-empower-people-through-access-to/) [John Legend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-legend/) > [Because the Internet's there, I have access to a lot of the legends, like Fela Kuti. I used to watch a lot of Fela…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/king-krule/because-the-internet-s-there-i-have-access-to-a-lot-of-the-legends/) [King Krule](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/king-krule/) > [There needs to be some regime that is overseeing access to broadband to make sure we have openess; otherwise, there is a risk it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vint-cerf/there-needs-to-be-some-regime-that-is-overseeing-access-to-broadband/) [Vint Cerf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vint-cerf/) > [While it's wonderful that investors have access to all the data now available to them, it has become a full-time job to sift through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-bartiromo/while-it-s-wonderful-that-investors-have-access-to-all-the-data-now/) [Maria Bartiromo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-bartiromo/) > [It is truly vital for the United States to assure that it is not attacked with weapons of mass destruction; to prevent wars in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/it-is-truly-vital-for-the-united-states-to-assure-that-it-is-not/) [Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/) > [Now that I'm more middle class, I have access to consumer goods. I do enjoy feminine frippery, feminine doo-da, stuff like that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-geok-lin-lim/now-that-i-m-more-middle-class-i-have-access-to-consumer-goods-i-do/) [Shirley Geok-lin Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-geok-lin-lim/) > [Schools have never been about getting access to information. That's the job of libraries. Schools and universities have nobler missions as gentle gatekeepers. Their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-nikiforuk/schools-have-never-been-about-getting-access-to-information-that-s/) Andrew Nikiforuk > [To pray is to open the door unto Jesus and admit Him into your distress. Your helplessness is the very thing which opens wide…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ole-hallesby/to-pray-is-to-open-the-door-unto-jesus-and-admit-him-into-your/) [Ole Hallesby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ole-hallesby/) > [Broadband Internet access shouldn't depend on who you are or where you're from.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ajit-pai/broadband-internet-access-shouldn-t-depend-on-who-you-are-or-where/) [Ajit Pai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ajit-pai/) [Browse all 2,178 Access quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/access/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "As someone who's been covering presidential campaigns since the 1950s, I have no delusions about political reporting. 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