--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As a journalist, your words are regularly…" description: "\"As a journalist, your words are regularly read by lots of people, but they're not your words: they're someone else's. You're quoting people.\" — Fiona B..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f53/fiona-barton-14833_journalism_as-a-journalist-your-words-are-regularly_73620.jpg" --- # As a journalist, your words are regularly read by lots of… ![“As a journalist, your words are regularly read by lots of people, but they're not your words: they're someone else's. You're quoting people.” quote by Fiona Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f53/fiona-barton-14833_journalism_as-a-journalist-your-words-are-regularly_73620.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f53/fiona-barton-14833_journalism_as-a-journalist-your-words-are-regularly_73620.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f53/fiona-barton-14833_journalism_as-a-journalist-your-words-are-regularly_73620.jpg) > “As a journalist, your words are regularly read by lots of people, but they're not your words: they're someone else's. You're quoting people.” [Fiona Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-barton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Journalism involves transmitting others' statements, not personal expression, highlighting the role of reporting over authorship. **In simple terms:** Reporting others' words. Key Takeaway Journalist as conduit. Themes media ethics communication authorship responsibility truth voice Mood reflective analytical Type observational didactic When to use this quote - news articles - interviews - press releases - media analysis Key Concepts quoting source attribution public discourse Practical Applications - news reporting - media training Questions to Reflect On - How does quoting shape credibility? - What responsibilities arise from amplifying others' voices? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Journalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journalism/) [Journalist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journalist/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/words/) ## Related quotes > [“Quoting other people in essays is bullshit if anything we should be working to come up with our own quote to be remembered by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corey-price/quoting-other-people-in-essays-is-bullshit-if-anything-we-should-be/) Corey Price > [Real smarts begin when you quit quoting other people……..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/real-smarts-begin-when-you-quit-quoting-other-people/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [When you are a journalist, you are always looking for the next story. It might come from a phone call from a contact or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-barton/when-you-are-a-journalist-you-are-always-looking-for-the-next-story/) [Fiona Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-barton/) > [I am an emotional and fragile person. I observe life, I am perceptive and can read a person's body language. I have a strong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madhur-bhandarkar/i-am-an-emotional-and-fragile-person-i-observe-life-i-am-perceptive/) [Madhur Bhandarkar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madhur-bhandarkar/) > [“I’ll try. That which does not kill us makes us stronger, right?” “You’re quoting Kelly Clarkson?” “No, Nietzsche,” Harper replied with a quiet laugh.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-cole/i-ll-try-that-which-does-not-kill-us-makes-us-stronger-right-you-re/) [Scarlett Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-cole/) > [One must never miss an opportunity of quoting things by others which are always more interesting than those one thinks up oneself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-proust/one-must-never-miss-an-opportunity-of-quoting-things-by-others-which/) [Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-proust/) > [Quoting her mother: The trouble with a book is you never know what's in it until it's too late!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/quoting-her-mother-the-trouble-with-a-book-is-you-never-know-what-s/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [“The novel used to feed our search for meaning. Quoting Bill. It was the great secular transcendence. The Latin mass of language, character, occasional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/the-novel-used-to-feed-our-search-for-meaning-quoting-bill-it-was-the/) [Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/) > [Quoting E. B. White is the easiest way I know of to fool people into thinking that I am perceptive, witty, and wise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-behrens/quoting-e-b-white-is-the-easiest-way-i-know-of-to-fool-people-into/) [Peter Behrens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-behrens/) > [“Those who are quoting Justin Bieber are ruining this site.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-munn/those-who-are-quoting-justin-bieber-are-ruining-this-site/) Michael Munn > [How could believers, people who regard themselves as true Muslims, get on those planes, quoting the words of God delivered through the Prophet to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fisk/how-could-believers-people-who-regard-themselves-as-true-muslims-get/) [Robert Fisk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fisk/) > [When life is rosy, we may slide by with knowing about Jesus, with imitating him and quoting him and speaking of him. But only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-eareckson-tada/when-life-is-rosy-we-may-slide-by-with-knowing-about-jesus-with/) [Joni Eareckson Tada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-eareckson-tada/) > [“The nice thing about life is that it's filled with second chances. Quoting Bill.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/the-nice-thing-about-life-is-that-it-s-filled-with-second-chances/) [Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/) > [I don't know Beyoncé, but I have the impression that she's sincere, that she really is a feminist and wanted to put the word…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/i-don-t-know-beyonc-but-i-have-the-impression-that-she-s-sincere-that/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [Filmmakers get into trouble when they're watching too many DVDs and quoting all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mangold/filmmakers-get-into-trouble-when-they-re-watching-too-many-dvds-and/) [James Mangold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mangold/) ## More by Fiona Barton > [The emotions, responsibilities - and the pain - of motherhood are unique to each of us with children. Ask any woman, and she will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-barton/the-emotions-responsibilities-and-the-pain-of-motherhood-are-unique/) [Fiona Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-barton/) > [When you start writing fiction, you have to learn to invent, and it's very hard at the beginning to stop relying on facts and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-barton/when-you-start-writing-fiction-you-have-to-learn-to-invent-and-it-s/) [Fiona Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-barton/) > [For most of us, our protective lies or omissions are so insignificant that being found out would be only mildly embarrassing. But for some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-barton/for-most-of-us-our-protective-lies-or-omissions-are-so-insignificant/) [Fiona Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-barton/) > [When you are a journalist, you are always looking for the next story. It might come from a phone call from a contact or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-barton/when-you-are-a-journalist-you-are-always-looking-for-the-next-story/) [Fiona Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-barton/) > [Garrison Keillor's 'Lake Wobegon' books create a world I can immerse myself in over and over. I love the deadpan humour, the warmth, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-barton/garrison-keillor-s-lake-wobegon-books-create-a-world-i-can-immerse/) [Fiona Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-barton/) > [The success of 'The Widow' meant there were expectations for the second book from the first word, and it has created a completely different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-barton/the-success-of-the-widow-meant-there-were-expectations-for-the-second/) [Fiona Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-barton/) > [I know I love a novel with an unreliable narrator, and I think many readers do as well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-barton/i-know-i-love-a-novel-with-an-unreliable-narrator-and-i-think-many/) [Fiona Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-barton/) > [Over the years, I've interviewed the victims, the guilty, the famous, the important, and the ordinary people affected by tragedy or good fortune. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-barton/over-the-years-i-ve-interviewed-the-victims-the-guilty-the-famous-the/) [Fiona Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-barton/) > [Yes, there are bad apples, but I do feel journalists do a good job, often in very difficult circumstances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-barton/yes-there-are-bad-apples-but-i-do-feel-journalists-do-a-good-job/) [Fiona Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-barton/) > [Mental health is something that I'm very interested in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-barton/mental-health-is-something-that-i-m-very-interested-in/) [Fiona Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-barton/) > [I like my villains clever, deep, and driven by pure evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-barton/i-like-my-villains-clever-deep-and-driven-by-pure-evil/) [Fiona Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-barton/) > [It's a wonderful experience to be reading a story and think you've got things all figured out, and then suddenly, it all goes upside-down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-barton/it-s-a-wonderful-experience-to-be-reading-a-story-and-think-you-ve/) [Fiona Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-barton/) > [A lot of people think journalists are criminals, and there are some who haven't helped us. But the media is essential for democratic society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-barton/a-lot-of-people-think-journalists-are-criminals-and-there-are-some/) [Fiona Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-barton/) > [The righting of historic wrongs has chimed with something fundamental in me since I was a young reader. I love the forensic skills, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-barton/the-righting-of-historic-wrongs-has-chimed-with-something-fundamental/) [Fiona Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-barton/) > [Since reading 'Sophie's Choice,' I have been haunted by the agonizing idea of choosing between two children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-barton/since-reading-sophie-s-choice-i-have-been-haunted-by-the-agonizing/) [Fiona Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-barton/) [Explore all 45 Fiona Barton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-barton/) ## More Journalism quotes > [A flourishing, morally credible media is a vital component in the maintenance of genuinely public talk, argument about common good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-williams/a-flourishing-morally-credible-media-is-a-vital-component-in-the/) [Rowan Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-williams/) > [Television, radio, social media. The 24/7 news cycle plows forward mercilessly on our desks, in our cars and in our pockets. Thousands and thousands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-prince/television-radio-social-media-the-24-7-news-cycle-plows-forward/) [Joseph Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-prince/) > [I don't think about the press or the crowds or the other leaders of the race. The focus is only on myself. As soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magdalena-neuner/i-don-t-think-about-the-press-or-the-crowds-or-the-other-leaders-of/) [Magdalena Neuner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magdalena-neuner/) > [Having small children and being an investigative reporter would seem like a difficult mix, but it worked well for me. I was often working…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-abramson/having-small-children-and-being-an-investigative-reporter-would-seem/) [Jill Abramson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-abramson/) > [It goes to show you how we in the press so often miss the big stories that are right under our noses. There is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/it-goes-to-show-you-how-we-in-the-press-so-often-miss-the-big-stories/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [I have always been a big meta guy because I think the way journalism is practiced in Washington, and the way everyone sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-leibovich/i-have-always-been-a-big-meta-guy-because-i-think-the-way-journalism/) [Mark Leibovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-leibovich/) > [I didn't get how big it was until I went home, turned on the television and saw it on all the news, and later…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/i-didn-t-get-how-big-it-was-until-i-went-home-turned-on-the/) [Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/) > [One lesson to learn is that the press and the broadcasters are not neutral. And it seems we have to learn it each time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-loach/one-lesson-to-learn-is-that-the-press-and-the-broadcasters-are-not/) [Ken Loach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-loach/) > [If you want to change something by Tuesday, theater is no good. Journalism is what does that. But, if you want to just alter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/if-you-want-to-change-something-by-tuesday-theater-is-no-good/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [Newspapers have an extraordinary amount of local content, including real estate listings and restaurant reviews.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimbal-musk/newspapers-have-an-extraordinary-amount-of-local-content-including/) [Kimbal Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimbal-musk/) > [If, for instance, they have heard something from the postman, they attribute it to a semi-official statement; if they have fallen into conversation with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evelyn-waugh/if-for-instance-they-have-heard-something-from-the-postman-they/) [Evelyn Waugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evelyn-waugh/) > [In essence, I see the value of journalism as resting in a twofold mission: informing the public of accurate and vital information, and its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/in-essence-i-see-the-value-of-journalism-as-resting-in-a-twofold/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [It’s a shameful moment for U.S. media when it insists on being subservient to the grotesque propaganda agencies of a violent, aggressive state.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/it-s-a-shameful-moment-for-u-s-media-when-it-insists-on-being/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Drill in exact translation is an excellent way of disposing the mind against that looseness and exaggeration with which the sensationalists have corrupted our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-weaver/drill-in-exact-translation-is-an-excellent-way-of-disposing-the-mind/) [Richard M. Weaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-weaver/) > [People think they're getting objective information, but they're not. They're getting news wrapped up in opinion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-samuels/people-think-they-re-getting-objective-information-but-they-re-not/) [Lynn Samuels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-samuels/) [Browse all 8,189 Journalism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journalism/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "As a journalist, your words are regularly read by lots of people, but they're not your words: they're someone else's. You're quoting people.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Fiona Barton" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-barton/as-a-journalist-your-words-are-regularly-read-by-lots-of-people-but/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Journalism" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-barton/as-a-journalist-your-words-are-regularly-read-by-lots-of-people-but/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f53/fiona-barton-14833_journalism_as-a-journalist-your-words-are-regularly_73620.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f53/fiona-barton-14833_journalism_as-a-journalist-your-words-are-regularly_73620.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f53/fiona-barton-14833_journalism_as-a-journalist-your-words-are-regularly_73620.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“As a journalist, your words are regularly read by lots of people, but they're not your words: they're…” — Fiona Barton", "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": "Fiona Barton", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-barton/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "As a journalist, your words are...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-barton/as-a-journalist-your-words-are-regularly-read-by-lots-of-people-but/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-barton/as-a-journalist-your-words-are-regularly-read-by-lots-of-people-but/#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 } } ] } ```