--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Reporters aren't stupid. We were standing…" description: "\"Reporters aren't stupid. We were standing around talking about which of the 900 health-care proposals that nobody's going to accept is that day's hot n..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c2/dave-barry-222_accepting_reporters-aren-t-stupid-we-were-standing_958202.png" --- # Reporters aren't stupid. We were standing around talking… ![“Reporters aren't stupid. We were standing around talking about which of the 900 health-care proposals that nobody's going to accept is that day's hot news. They know how silly that is. But that's what they do.” quote by Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c2/dave-barry-222_accepting_reporters-aren-t-stupid-we-were-standing_958202.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c2/dave-barry-222_accepting_reporters-aren-t-stupid-we-were-standing_958202.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c2/dave-barry-222_accepting_reporters-aren-t-stupid-we-were-standing_958202.png) > “Reporters aren't stupid. We were standing around talking about which of the 900 health-care proposals that nobody's going to accept is that day's hot news. They know how silly that is. But that's what they do.” [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Journalists often cover trivial or unpopular topics because that is what the audience expects, even when they recognize the absurdity. **In simple terms:** Reporters focus on sensational but unimportant stories. Key Takeaway Question the news you consume. Themes media criticism journalism public perception Mood skeptical ironic Type commentary observational satirical When to use this quote - newsrooms - media literacy - political reporting Key Concepts news cycle sensationalism audience demand Questions to Reflect On - Why do we accept shallow news? - How can journalists balance relevance and truth? A Different Perspective Even aware of the silliness, media may still prioritize clicks over substance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/care/) [Health care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/health-care/) [Journalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journalism/) [News](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/news/) [Reporters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reporters/) [Silly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silly/) ## Related quotes > [Television reporters aren't really called reporters. They are called researchers. And that's really all they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-wolfe/television-reporters-aren-t-really-called-reporters-they-are-called/) [Tom Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-wolfe/) > [Reporters aren't actually people!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/troy-duffy/reporters-aren-t-actually-people/) [Troy Duffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/troy-duffy/) > [In campaign reporting more than any other kind of press coverage, reporters aren't just covering a story, they're a part of it - influencing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hastings/in-campaign-reporting-more-than-any-other-kind-of-press-coverage/) [Michael Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hastings/) > [So it's the kind of business where you can't wait to get up in the morning and read the papers, or listen to what's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanford-i-weill/so-it-s-the-kind-of-business-where-you-can-t-wait-to-get-up-in-the/) [Sanford I. Weill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanford-i-weill/) > [When people talk about fake news, you know, a lot of folks just roll their eyes, like 'Oh, you know, whatever; people will figure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megyn-kelly/when-people-talk-about-fake-news-you-know-a-lot-of-folks-just-roll/) [Megyn Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megyn-kelly/) > [We mortals hear only the news, and know nothing at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/homer/we-mortals-hear-only-the-news-and-know-nothing-at-all/) [Homer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/homer/) > [TV news is as bloody as Shakespeare but without the intelligence and the poetry. If you watch television news you know less about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/tv-news-is-as-bloody-as-shakespeare-but-without-the-intelligence-and/) [Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/) > [Now, you watch cable news, and you know what everybody's going to say before they open their mouth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-neville/now-you-watch-cable-news-and-you-know-what-everybody-s-going-to-say/) [Morgan Neville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-neville/) > [I like to watch the news, because I don't like people very much and when you watch the news ... if you ever had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-zappa/i-like-to-watch-the-news-because-i-don-t-like-people-very-much-and/) [Frank Zappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-zappa/) > [What you see is news, what you know is background, what you feel is opinion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-markel/what-you-see-is-news-what-you-know-is-background-what-you-feel-is/) Lester Markel > [I don't watch television news and, so, whatever I know is from online snippets released by various channels.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barkha-dutt/i-don-t-watch-television-news-and-so-whatever-i-know-is-from-online/) [Barkha Dutt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barkha-dutt/) > [I mean people up here aren't stupid, I'm lower gene pool and I kind of sit in amazement at watching some of them because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-ose/i-mean-people-up-here-aren-t-stupid-i-m-lower-gene-pool-and-i-kind-of/) [Doug Ose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-ose/) > [The public aren't stupid, they know that celebrities are getting paid to promote. I don't want to influence young women to do or buy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-keegan/the-public-aren-t-stupid-they-know-that-celebrities-are-getting-paid/) [Michelle Keegan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-keegan/) > [People aren't stupid. They saw what was happening at the Cologne central station. A lawless space was created in the middle of a city…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-schwarzer/people-aren-t-stupid-they-saw-what-was-happening-at-the-cologne/) [Alice Schwarzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-schwarzer/) > [Country music fans aren't stupid. I'm not stupid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorrie-morgan/country-music-fans-aren-t-stupid-i-m-not-stupid/) [Lorrie Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorrie-morgan/) ## More by Dave Barry > [This is true; virtually all edible substances, and many automotive products, are now marketed as being low-fat or fat-free. Americans are obsessed with fat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/this-is-true-virtually-all-edible-substances-and-many-automotive/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [This ball was so crowded that it took me - a trained professional journalist with vast experience in this area - forty five minutes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/this-ball-was-so-crowded-that-it-took-me-a-trained-professional/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [The hardest thing about being a guy is that women don't accept that you really are just a simple, pathetic, labrador retriever-like creature. That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/the-hardest-thing-about-being-a-guy-is-that-women-don-t-accept-that/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [The ultimate camping trip was the Lewis and Clark expedition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/the-ultimate-camping-trip-was-the-lewis-and-clark-expedition/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [Although golf was originally restricted to wealthy, overweight Protestants, today it's open to anybody who owns hideous clothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/although-golf-was-originally-restricted-to-wealthy-overweight/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [Entire new continent can emerge from the ocean in the time it takes for a Web page to show up on your screen. Contrary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/entire-new-continent-can-emerge-from-the-ocean-in-the-time-it-takes/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [He was distracted by a giggle, and turned to see a rare sight: a girl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/he-was-distracted-by-a-giggle-and-turned-to-see-a-rare-sight-a-girl/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [The major parties could conduct live human sacrifices on their podiums during prime time, and I doubt that anybody would notice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/the-major-parties-could-conduct-live-human-sacrifices-on-their/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [If you look at any list of great modern writers such as Ernest Hemingway, William Faulkner, and F. Scott Fitzgerald, you'll notice two things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/if-you-look-at-any-list-of-great-modern-writers-such-as-ernest/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [Don't you wish you had a job like mine? All you have to do is think up a certain number of words! Plus, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/don-t-you-wish-you-had-a-job-like-mine-all-you-have-to-do-is-think-up/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [“Despite the gulf, physical and cultural, between the United States and Japan, both societies are, in the end, made up of people, and people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/despite-the-gulf-physical-and-cultural-between-the-united-states-and/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [Before going on a diet you should consult your doctor, or at least send him some money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/before-going-on-a-diet-you-should-consult-your-doctor-or-at-least/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [Never trust anything you read in a travel article.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/never-trust-anything-you-read-in-a-travel-article/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [In the old days, it was not called the Holiday Season; the Christians called it "Christmas" and went to church; the Jews called it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/in-the-old-days-it-was-not-called-the-holiday-season-the-christians/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [Always remember that if editors were so damned smart, they would know how to dress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/always-remember-that-if-editors-were-so-damned-smart-they-would-know/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) [Explore all 867 Dave Barry quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) ## More Accepting quotes > [From Augustine down, theologians have tried to compel people to accept their special interpretation of the Scripture, and the tortures of the inquisition, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matilda-joslyn-gage/from-augustine-down-theologians-have-tried-to-compel-people-to-accept/) [Matilda Joslyn Gage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matilda-joslyn-gage/) > [Laughing, laughing, laughing, laughing! It is the jester! A voice from the Void, to cheer poor Cicero! I accept your gift, dearest Night Mother.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/laughing-laughing-laughing-laughing-it-is-the-jester-a-voice-from-the/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [This duo inside of me causes the perfect opportunity to live and learn twice as fast as those who choose to accept simplicity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tupac-shakur/this-duo-inside-of-me-causes-the-perfect-opportunity-to-live-and/) [Tupac Shakur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tupac-shakur/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [We only enter into the full life if our faith gives thanks. Because how else do we accept His free gift of salvation if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/we-only-enter-into-the-full-life-if-our-faith-gives-thanks-because/) [Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/) > [Don't be bitter. Everybody suffers. If you can accept your suffering then you will understand other people better. Be grateful for pain. Love life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/don-t-be-bitter-everybody-suffers-if-you-can-accept-your-suffering/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [It takes an unusually philosophic mind to accept that all one’s suffering might be to no end, really, in the larger scheme of things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-takes-an-unusually-philosophic-mind-to-accept-that-all-one-s/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [No nation being under another nation can accept gifts, and kick at the responsibility attached to those gifts, imposed by the conquering nation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/no-nation-being-under-another-nation-can-accept-gifts-and-kick-at-the/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [Even with clothing naked animals, there were people who wanted to send in money. A woman in Santa Barbara, California, sent a $40,000 check.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-abel/even-with-clothing-naked-animals-there-were-people-who-wanted-to-send/) [Alan Abel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-abel/) > [Society understands the architecture of academia and knows there are relevant qualifications in different fields, and the media accepts the idea of specialisations and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-griffiths/society-understands-the-architecture-of-academia-and-knows-there-are/) [Jay Griffiths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-griffiths/) > [Whatever your conscious mind assumes and believes to be true, your subconscious mind will accept and bring to pass. Believe in good fortune, divine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-murphy/whatever-your-conscious-mind-assumes-and-believes-to-be-true-your/) [Joseph Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-murphy/) > [Losing someone is easy, but accepting it is hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/losing-someone-is-easy-but-accepting-it-is-hard/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [… and so he tried to accept the ache in his heart as what Dr. Larch would call the common symptoms of normal life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/and-so-he-tried-to-accept-the-ache-in-his-heart-as-what-dr-larch/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [I think what was special about 'Music by Prudence' was the classic story of the title subject's life path - from being an outcast…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-think-what-was-special-about-music-by-prudence-was-the-classic/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [As my films are born at the moment when they are reflected into another person's mind and memories, there are no misconceptions. I totally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pirjo-honkasalo/as-my-films-are-born-at-the-moment-when-they-are-reflected-into/) [Pirjo Honkasalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pirjo-honkasalo/) Browse all 6,788 Accepting quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Reporters aren't stupid. We were standing around talking about which of the 900 health-care proposals that nobody's going to accept is that day's hot news. They know how silly that is. But that's what they do.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Dave Barry" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/reporters-aren-t-stupid-we-were-standing-around-talking-about-which/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Accepting" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/reporters-aren-t-stupid-we-were-standing-around-talking-about-which/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c2/dave-barry-222_accepting_reporters-aren-t-stupid-we-were-standing_958202.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c2/dave-barry-222_accepting_reporters-aren-t-stupid-we-were-standing_958202.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c2/dave-barry-222_accepting_reporters-aren-t-stupid-we-were-standing_958202.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Reporters aren't stupid. We were standing around talking about which of the 900 health-care proposals that…” — Dave Barry", "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": "Dave Barry", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Reporters aren't stupid. We were standing...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/reporters-aren-t-stupid-we-were-standing-around-talking-about-which/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/reporters-aren-t-stupid-we-were-standing-around-talking-about-which/#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 } } ] } ```