--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The mainstream press was not aggressive…" description: "\"The mainstream press was not aggressive enough after 9/11, was not aggressive enough in asking questions about a decision to go to war in Iraq, was not..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/918/dean-baquet-35927_accepting_the-mainstream-press-was-not-aggressive_1186125.jpg" --- # The mainstream press was not aggressive enough after 9/11… ![“The mainstream press was not aggressive enough after 9/11, was not aggressive enough in asking questions about a decision to go to war in Iraq, was not aggresive enough in asking the hard questions about the War on Terror. I accept that for the Los Angeles Times and the New York Times.” quote by Dean Baquet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/918/dean-baquet-35927_accepting_the-mainstream-press-was-not-aggressive_1186125.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/918/dean-baquet-35927_accepting_the-mainstream-press-was-not-aggressive_1186125.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/918/dean-baquet-35927_accepting_the-mainstream-press-was-not-aggressive_1186125.jpg) > “The mainstream press was not aggressive enough after 9/11, was not aggressive enough in asking questions about a decision to go to war in Iraq, was not aggresive enough in asking the hard questions about the War on Terror. I accept that for the Los Angeles Times and the New York Times.” [Dean Baquet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-baquet/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The press failed to question the war decisions aggressively enough after 9/11. **In simple terms:** Media did not press hard enough on war choices. Key Takeaway Demand rigorous questioning from news outlets. Themes media responsibility war accountability journalism Mood critical concerned Type journalistic political When to use this quote - political analysis - public discourse - government policy Key Concepts critical inquiry press freedom Questions to Reflect On - How can journalists balance objectivity and scrutiny? - What mechanisms ensure press accountability? A Different Perspective Aggressive questioning may be limited by corporate pressures. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Accepting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accepting/) [Aggresive Asking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aggresive-asking-3499823/) [Aggressive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aggressive/) [Aggressive Asking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aggressive-asking-3499824/) [Asking Question](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asking-question/) [Asking questions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asking-questions/) [Decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision/) [Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enough/) [Los angeles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/los-angeles/) [Mainstream Press](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mainstream-press-900244/) [Press Aggressive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/press-aggressive-3499822/) [Questions War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/questions-war-1428099/) [Terror](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terror/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [War on terror](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-on-terror/) [York Times](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/york-times/) ## Related quotes > [I've stopped war reporting. I realized that I'd answered all of my questions about war and about myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-junger/i-ve-stopped-war-reporting-i-realized-that-i-d-answered-all-of-my/) [Sebastian Junger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-junger/) > [I'm really bothered by questions of humanity, questions of war, questions of slavery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marjorie-liu/i-m-really-bothered-by-questions-of-humanity-questions-of-war/) [Marjorie Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marjorie-liu/) > [“In this way, he found answers to some of the questions he had about war. He”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mich-le-audin/in-this-way-he-found-answers-to-some-of-the-questions-he-had-about/) [Michèle Audin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mich-le-audin/) > [“This morning I watched a Diane Sawyer interview where there wasn’t one awkward pause. The trick is to pose good questions. “So how was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-hale/this-morning-i-watched-a-diane-sawyer-interview-where-there-wasn-t/) [Kathleen Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-hale/) > [Those are serious questions of war and peace, of freedom or tyranny, whether or not there is ever going to be a hope of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-wamp/those-are-serious-questions-of-war-and-peace-of-freedom-or-tyranny/) [Zach Wamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-wamp/) > [The mainstream press and television do a very soft job of covering the press, either as corporate entities or as news organizations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-schanberg/the-mainstream-press-and-television-do-a-very-soft-job-of-covering/) [Sydney Schanberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-schanberg/) > [Conservatives in the American heartland have long believed, with some justification, that they can't get a fair hearing in America's mainstream press, which they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katty-kay/conservatives-in-the-american-heartland-have-long-believed-with-some/) [Katty Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katty-kay/) > [Where would we in Washington and we in America be without the Center? We would know much less about the workings of our Congress,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seymour-hersh/where-would-we-in-washington-and-we-in-america-be-without-the-center/) [Seymour Hersh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seymour-hersh/) > [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 sense that I get is that every election cycle, the mainstream press devolves more and more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana-kasparian/the-sense-that-i-get-is-that-every-election-cycle-the-mainstream/) [Ana Kasparian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana-kasparian/) > [There is a long-standing tradition in the mainstream press of middle-of-the-road journalism that is objective and fair. I would hate to see that fall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-heyward/there-is-a-long-standing-tradition-in-the-mainstream-press-of-middle/) [Andrew Heyward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-heyward/) > [Quietly, President Obama has done warrantless wire tapping. And it was hardly covered. I don't know if any of the mainstream press bothered to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cenk-uygur/quietly-president-obama-has-done-warrantless-wire-tapping-and-it-was/) [Cenk Uygur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cenk-uygur/) > [If it is terrorism, if it is war on terror, then the Afghan people will join you on terror.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hamid-karzai/if-it-is-terrorism-if-it-is-war-on-terror-then-the-afghan-people-will/) [Hamid Karzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hamid-karzai/) > [On 9-11, we discovered that we cannot escape from the world. To me personally, this was a life-changing experience, and I realized, as did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/on-9-11-we-discovered-that-we-cannot-escape-from-the-world-to-me/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) ## More by Dean Baquet > [I grew up in the traditional American newspaper world with a morning paper and an afternoon paper competing with each other beat by beat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-baquet/i-grew-up-in-the-traditional-american-newspaper-world-with-a-morning/) [Dean Baquet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-baquet/) > [The New York Times is and has always been a digital leader. The report only cited some areas where we fell down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-baquet/the-new-york-times-is-and-has-always-been-a-digital-leader-the-report/) [Dean Baquet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-baquet/) > [I know this is going to get me in trouble, but I'll say it: The whole notion that I am supposed to constantly tweet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-baquet/i-know-this-is-going-to-get-me-in-trouble-but-i-ll-say-it-the-whole/) [Dean Baquet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-baquet/) > [The Washington Post is and has been the greatest historic competitor of the New York Times. Half of me, though, the unselfish part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-baquet/the-washington-post-is-and-has-been-the-greatest-historic-competitor/) [Dean Baquet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-baquet/) > [My job is to cover the hell out of the story, very aggressively. The real place to be courageous if you're a news organization…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-baquet/my-job-is-to-cover-the-hell-out-of-the-story-very-aggressively-the/) [Dean Baquet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-baquet/) > [The fact that Edward Snowden didn't approach the New York Times hurt a lot. It meant two things. Morally, it meant that somebody with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-baquet/the-fact-that-edward-snowden-didn-t-approach-the-new-york-times-hurt/) [Dean Baquet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-baquet/) > [You're always going to have more traffic if you're a free website. But we've always admitted that the New York Times was behind other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-baquet/you-re-always-going-to-have-more-traffic-if-you-re-a-free-website-but/) [Dean Baquet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-baquet/) > [We, in the New York Times, have not yet figured out how to grow our international readership. We started a website in China, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-baquet/we-in-the-new-york-times-have-not-yet-figured-out-how-to-grow-our/) [Dean Baquet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-baquet/) > [I also don't think all of the revenue will come from digital subscriptions. We have in the New York Times a mix of revenue…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-baquet/i-also-don-t-think-all-of-the-revenue-will-come-from-digital/) [Dean Baquet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-baquet/) > [I always thought that digital first was a simplistic notion, and I am not even sure quite what it means. It should be stories…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-baquet/i-always-thought-that-digital-first-was-a-simplistic-notion-and-i-am/) [Dean Baquet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-baquet/) > [Everyone has a story if you just listen and shut up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-baquet/everyone-has-a-story-if-you-just-listen-and-shut-up/) [Dean Baquet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-baquet/) > [It used to be, if you were a reporter, you wrote a story and then you moved on to the next one. We were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-baquet/it-used-to-be-if-you-were-a-reporter-you-wrote-a-story-and-then-you/) [Dean Baquet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-baquet/) [Explore all 13 Dean Baquet quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-baquet/) ## 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 ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accepting/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The mainstream press was not aggressive enough after 9/11, was not aggressive enough in asking questions about a decision to go to war in Iraq, was not aggresive enough in asking the hard questions about the War on Terror. 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