---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Let's give the conventions back to the…"
description: "\"Let's give the conventions back to the politicians. If we think there's any news, we can tack it on afterward as commentary. But the conventions should..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a4/don-hewitt-41762_commentary_let-s-give-the-conventions-back-to-the-p_3215932.jpg"
---

#  Let's give the conventions back to the politicians. If we…

![“Let's give the conventions back to the politicians. If we think there's any news, we can tack it on afterward as commentary. But the conventions should be their show, not ours.” quote by Don Hewitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a4/don-hewitt-41762_commentary_let-s-give-the-conventions-back-to-the-p_3215932.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a4/don-hewitt-41762_commentary_let-s-give-the-conventions-back-to-the-p_3215932.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a4/don-hewitt-41762_commentary_let-s-give-the-conventions-back-to-the-p_3215932.jpg)

> “Let's give the conventions back to the politicians. If we think there's any news, we can tack it on afterward as commentary. But the conventions should be their show, not ours.”

[Don Hewitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-hewitt/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Media conventions should belong to politicians, not journalists, who should add commentary later.

**In simple terms:** Journalists should let politicians set the stage.

Key Takeaway

Let politicians shape conventions, then comment.

Themes

media politics journalism

Mood

critical analytical

Type

media political

When to use this quote

- political debates
- news broadcasts
- media analysis

Key Concepts

news framing editorial independence

Questions to Reflect On

- Should journalists intervene in political framing?
- What is the role of commentary?

A Different Perspective

Political narratives may dominate, limiting journalistic freedom.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Commentary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commentary/) [Commentary Conventions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commentary-conventions-6026770/) [Conventions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conventions/) [Conventions Politicians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conventions-politicians-6026769/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [News](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/news/) [News Tack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/news-tack-6026771/) [Politician](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politician/) [Politicians Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politicians-think-623161/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Shows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shows/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/)

## Related quotes

> [Politicians, please, think of yourselves! Move to help Terri Schiavo, and no one will be mad at you, and you'll keep a human being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peggy-noonan/politicians-please-think-of-yourselves-move-to-help-terri-schiavo-and/)

[Peggy Noonan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peggy-noonan/)

> [If politicians would think more they would act less.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-savile-1st-marquess-of-halifax/if-politicians-would-think-more-they-would-act-less/)

[George Savile, 1st Marquess of Halifax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-savile-1st-marquess-of-halifax/)

> [We animals live life in all its glorious uncertainty. Why do politicians think they can control events?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-mae-brown/we-animals-live-life-in-all-its-glorious-uncertainty-why-do/)

[Rita Mae Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-mae-brown/)

> [Rather than trying to put an end to Eminem or some other rapper, politicians should think about why they're rapping. It's easier to try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-nelson/rather-than-trying-to-put-an-end-to-eminem-or-some-other-rapper/)

[Willie Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-nelson/)

> [The politicians think that I have not included enough of them; the nonpoliticians think that I have gone back to the old ways; and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corazon-aquino/the-politicians-think-that-i-have-not-included-enough-of-them-the/)

[Corazon Aquino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corazon-aquino/)

> [Present law has a process to ascertain whether or not a patient is in a persistent vegetative state, and it should not matter what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-scott/present-law-has-a-process-to-ascertain-whether-or-not-a-patient-is-in/)

[Bobby Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-scott/)

> [I think there is a break down of trust generally, between people and politicians. I think that's come about for a whole variety of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theresa-may/i-think-there-is-a-break-down-of-trust-generally-between-people-and/)

[Theresa May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theresa-may/)

> [Politicians think that if matters look difficult, compromise is a good approach. Unfortunately, nature and the laws of physics cannot compromise - they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-hansen/politicians-think-that-if-matters-look-difficult-compromise-is-a-good/)

[James Hansen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-hansen/)

> [“In the tired hand of a dying man, Theodore Senior had written: "The 'Machine politicians' have shown their colors... I feel sorry for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-morris/in-the-tired-hand-of-a-dying-man-theodore-senior-had-written-the/)

[Edmund Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-morris/)

> [Politicians all too often think about the next election. Statesmen think about the next generation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-lingle/politicians-all-too-often-think-about-the-next-election-statesmen/)

[Linda Lingle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-lingle/)

> [Drons change the way politicians think about war. You already have society's barriers against war dropping, and now you have a technology that takes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-w-singer/drons-change-the-way-politicians-think-about-war-you-already-have/)

[P. W. Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-w-singer/)

> [“Politicians think the only way out of a hole is to keep digging.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/politicians-think-the-only-way-out-of-a-hole-is-to-keep-digging/)

[Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/)

> [I don't trust politicians. I think that by the time they've made it, with the concessions they've had to make in that position, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-astley/i-don-t-trust-politicians-i-think-that-by-the-time-they-ve-made-it/)

[Rick Astley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-astley/)

> [The politicians think the journalists have power, the journalists think bankers have power, bankers think lawyers have power. The truth is, nobody has power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rory-stewart/the-politicians-think-the-journalists-have-power-the-journalists/)

[Rory Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rory-stewart/)

> [Democrats want to use government power to make people's lives go better; Republicans respond that people know more than politicians do. We think that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cass-sunstein/democrats-want-to-use-government-power-to-make-people-s-lives-go/)

[Cass Sunstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cass-sunstein/)

## More by Don Hewitt

> [Confrontation is not a dirty word. Sometimes it's the best kind of journalism as long you don't confront people just for the sake of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-hewitt/confrontation-is-not-a-dirty-word-sometimes-it-s-the-best-kind-of/)

[Don Hewitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-hewitt/)

> [I can tell you categorically that we at 60 Minutes did not pay Michael Jackson one cent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-hewitt/i-can-tell-you-categorically-that-we-at-60-minutes-did-not-pay/)

[Don Hewitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-hewitt/)

> [You know that clicker? It's going to change the world more than any other thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-hewitt/you-know-that-clicker-it-s-going-to-change-the-world-more-than-any/)

[Don Hewitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-hewitt/)

> [When there was a disaster, it used to be that people went to church and all held hands. Now the minute anything happens they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-hewitt/when-there-was-a-disaster-it-used-to-be-that-people-went-to-church/)

[Don Hewitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-hewitt/)

> [The businessman only wants two things said about his company-what he pays his public relations people to say and what he pays his advertising…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-hewitt/the-businessman-only-wants-two-things-said-about-his-company-what-he/)

[Don Hewitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-hewitt/)

> [He can thread a needle with a well-turned phrase.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-hewitt/he-can-thread-a-needle-with-a-well-turned-phrase/)

[Don Hewitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-hewitt/)

> [I plan to die at my desk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-hewitt/i-plan-to-die-at-my-desk/)

[Don Hewitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-hewitt/)

> [I've always said there are four words that every child in the world knows, and those are, "Tell me a story,." Even the people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-hewitt/i-ve-always-said-there-are-four-words-that-every-child-in-the-world/)

[Don Hewitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-hewitt/)

> [It's a movie, OK? I went to see GONE WITH THE WIND, but did I really believe there was a guy named Rhett Butler…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-hewitt/it-s-a-movie-ok-i-went-to-see-gone-with-the-wind-but-did-i-really/)

[Don Hewitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-hewitt/)

[Explore all 10 Don Hewitt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-hewitt/)

## More Commentary quotes

> [Things happen too quickly, crisis follows crisis, the soil of our minds is perpetually disturbed. Each of us, to relieve his feelings, broadcasts his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-struther/things-happen-too-quickly-crisis-follows-crisis-the-soil-of-our-minds/)

[Jan Struther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-struther/)

> [The narration, in fact, doubles the drama with a commentary without which no mise en scene would be possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lacan/the-narration-in-fact-doubles-the-drama-with-a-commentary-without/)

[Jacques Lacan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lacan/)

> [I always had a running commentary in my head that was extremely funny and off-center, but I never said it to anyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elayne-boosler/i-always-had-a-running-commentary-in-my-head-that-was-extremely-funny/)

[Elayne Boosler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elayne-boosler/)

> [I don't like going to football games. I like watching them on television. When you go to a game, it's hard to focus. There's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-legend/i-don-t-like-going-to-football-games-i-like-watching-them-on/)

[John Legend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-legend/)

> [Melissa McCarthy just opened this new movie, 'Identity Thief,' and Rex Reed, who's a known critic, wrote a scathing commentary on her weight. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-gad/melissa-mccarthy-just-opened-this-new-movie-identity-thief-and-rex/)

[Josh Gad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-gad/)

> [Spirituality does two things for you. One, you are forced to become more selfless, two, you trust to providence. The opposite of a spiritual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/imran-khan/spirituality-does-two-things-for-you-one-you-are-forced-to-become/)

[Imran Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/imran-khan/)

> [Where beauty is worshipped for beauty's sake as a goddess, independent of and superior to morality and philosophy, the most horrible putrefaction is apt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/where-beauty-is-worshipped-for-beauty-s-sake-as-a-goddess-independent/)

[Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/)

> [ \[John Calvin's\] treatment of the person and work of Christ, of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer, of prayer and liturgy,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-d-crisp/john-calvin-s-treatment-of-the-person-and-work-of-christ-of-the-holy/)

[Oliver D. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-d-crisp/)

> [My work is not so much a direct commentary as it is an open-ended observation of the absurdities around us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ori-gersht/my-work-is-not-so-much-a-direct-commentary-as-it-is-an-open-ended/)

[Ori Gersht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ori-gersht/)

> [“The late-afternoon light was thick and orange and she passed four different couples taking photos of themselves on the same cobblestoned block, all their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-lacey/the-late-afternoon-light-was-thick-and-orange-and-she-passed-four/)

[Catherine Lacey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-lacey/)

> [I'm not interested in the director's commentary stuff. I think that stuff is really boring. And, if the director explains too much, it takes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-m-kahn/i-m-not-interested-in-the-director-s-commentary-stuff-i-think-that/)

[Joseph M. Kahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-m-kahn/)

> [“Every time I check Facebook, I get sick of my friends' pointless dramatic posts!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malak-abu-shanab/every-time-i-check-facebook-i-get-sick-of-my-friends-pointless/)

[Malak Abu Shanab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malak-abu-shanab/)

> [It's a sad commentary when I have to say that sometimes in our country we are real sensitive to race.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-robertson/it-s-a-sad-commentary-when-i-have-to-say-that-sometimes-in-our/)

[Oscar Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-robertson/)

> [“For the commentator to stay as closely as possible to home, that is, to the text of the Gospel itself, there is much to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-ridderbos/for-the-commentator-to-stay-as-closely-as-possible-to-home-that-is-to/)

[Herman Ridderbos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-ridderbos/)

> [If I do, I say so. That's the only way out of that. If there are three words that need to be used more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/if-i-do-i-say-so-that-s-the-only-way-out-of-that-if-there-are-three/)

[P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/)

[Browse all 299 Commentary quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commentary/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Let's give the conventions back to the politicians. If we think there's any news, we can tack it on afterward as commentary. But the conventions should be their show, not ours.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Don Hewitt"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-hewitt/let-s-give-the-conventions-back-to-the-politicians-if-we-think-there/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Commentary"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-hewitt/let-s-give-the-conventions-back-to-the-politicians-if-we-think-there/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a4/don-hewitt-41762_commentary_let-s-give-the-conventions-back-to-the-p_3215932.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a4/don-hewitt-41762_commentary_let-s-give-the-conventions-back-to-the-p_3215932.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a4/don-hewitt-41762_commentary_let-s-give-the-conventions-back-to-the-p_3215932.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Let's give the conventions back to the politicians. If we think there's any news, we can tack it on…” — Don Hewitt",
                "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": "Don Hewitt",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-hewitt/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Let's give the conventions back to...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-hewitt/let-s-give-the-conventions-back-to-the-politicians-if-we-think-there/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-hewitt/let-s-give-the-conventions-back-to-the-politicians-if-we-think-there/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
