--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I started off in journalism, you…" description: "\"When I started off in journalism, you knew there was an audience out there and that you wanted people to read what you produced. But it also felt like ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de6/franklin-foer-3604_ability_when-i-started-off-in-journalism-you-kne_1845462.jpg" --- # When I started off in journalism, you knew there was an… ![“When I started off in journalism, you knew there was an audience out there and that you wanted people to read what you produced. But it also felt like you had a limited ability to shape the audience, or to acquire an audience, for what you were doing. So you didn't really think too much about that.” quote by Franklin Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de6/franklin-foer-3604_ability_when-i-started-off-in-journalism-you-kne_1845462.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de6/franklin-foer-3604_ability_when-i-started-off-in-journalism-you-kne_1845462.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de6/franklin-foer-3604_ability_when-i-started-off-in-journalism-you-kne_1845462.jpg) > “When I started off in journalism, you knew there was an audience out there and that you wanted people to read what you produced. But it also felt like you had a limited ability to shape the audience, or to acquire an audience, for what you were doing. So you didn't really think too much about that.” [Franklin Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-foer/) ## 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 assume an existing audience but feel limited in attracting or shaping it, leading to passive content strategies. **In simple terms:** Journalists feel they have an audience but can’t control it. Key Takeaway Recognize audience agency and actively engage readers. Themes media audience control engagement Mood reflective strategic Type advice insight When to use this quote - newsroom meetings - social media campaigns - reader surveys - content tailoring Key Concepts journalism media strategy audience development Questions to Reflect On - How can journalists proactively shape audience expectations? - What tools help expand reach beyond existing readers? A Different Perspective Audience preferences may shift unpredictably, limiting control. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) [Acquire Audience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acquire-audience-2383876/) [Journalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journalism/) [Journalism Knew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journalism-knew-2383875/) [Knew Audience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knew-audience-2383877/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Shape Audience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shape-audience-1895321/) [Started](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/started/) [Started Journalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/started-journalism-1265901/) ## Related quotes > [I think in a play it's wise to just sit back and watch other actors and be able to shape it from the audience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-braff/i-think-in-a-play-it-s-wise-to-just-sit-back-and-watch-other-actors/) [Zach Braff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-braff/) > [“He knew who his audience was going to be—it was not going to be people who want to have policy debates. It was going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-green/he-knew-who-his-audience-was-going-to-be-it-was-not-going-to-be/) [Joshua Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-green/) > [I was going to college for broadcast journalism because I knew whatever career path I would take, I knew I wanted to be talking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eva-gutowski/i-was-going-to-college-for-broadcast-journalism-because-i-knew/) [Eva Gutowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eva-gutowski/) > [Even before I joined journalism, I knew that this is what I wanted to do. Tintin was an early inspiration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-ghosh/even-before-i-joined-journalism-i-knew-that-this-is-what-i-wanted-to/) [Bobby Ghosh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-ghosh/) > [I started out in the journalism program, but I got kicked out. I wasn't very good at it. 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Michael Straczynski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-michael-straczynski/) > [My first thought when I started in journalism is that I wanted to work for a fashion publication like 'Vogue' or 'Glamour.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malika-andrews/my-first-thought-when-i-started-in-journalism-is-that-i-wanted-to/) [Malika Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malika-andrews/) > [I decided to start my channel because my followers on Instagram told me that they wanted to learn how I did the looks I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manny-mua/i-decided-to-start-my-channel-because-my-followers-on-instagram-told/) [Manny MUA](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manny-mua/) > [I started off as a model maker, so the first part of my career was a model maker and then a motion control camera…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-knoll/i-started-off-as-a-model-maker-so-the-first-part-of-my-career-was-a/) [John Knoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-knoll/) > [Sometimes it's about less is more. It's about the seed. Thinking about this gigantic tree that you think is so beautiful but it started…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-durst/sometimes-it-s-about-less-is-more-it-s-about-the-seed-thinking-about/) [Fred Durst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-durst/) > [We were so poor as kids. I didn't even see a bathtub, running water, hot water, commode - we didn't have any of that.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-robertson/we-were-so-poor-as-kids-i-didn-t-even-see-a-bathtub-running-water-hot/) [Phil Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-robertson/) > [I studied all kinds of dance, all types of music. I got good grades. I started hitting the recording studio around 13.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-derulo/i-studied-all-kinds-of-dance-all-types-of-music-i-got-good-grades-i/) [Jason Derulo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-derulo/) ## More by Franklin Foer > [Once upon a time, if you were going to get a loan from me, I would have had to look at your file, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-foer/once-upon-a-time-if-you-were-going-to-get-a-loan-from-me-i-would-have/) [Franklin Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-foer/) > [“But in the end, the hackers were misunderstood figures. They wanted nothing more than to belong, to subsume their brilliant selves in an even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-foer/but-in-the-end-the-hackers-were-misunderstood-figures-they-wanted/) [Franklin Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-foer/) > [Not even Trump's father's wealth, nor his father's faith in his son's destiny, could save Trump from incessant discipline. 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They believe that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-foer/more-than-any-previous-coterie-of-corporations-the-tech-monopolies/) [Franklin Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-foer/) > [In mid-2014, 51 percent of American Republicans viewed Putin very unfavorably. Two years later, 14 percent did. By January, 75 percent of Republicans said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-foer/in-mid-2014-51-percent-of-american-republicans-viewed-putin-very/) [Franklin Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-foer/) > [“The Hoover experiment, in the end, hardly realized the happy fantasies about the Engineer King. A very different version of this dream, however, has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-foer/the-hoover-experiment-in-the-end-hardly-realized-the-happy-fantasies/) [Franklin Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-foer/) > [Putin has made a habit of supporting far-right candidates who undermine his foes in Europe; perhaps he never could have imagined such a character…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-foer/putin-has-made-a-habit-of-supporting-far-right-candidates-who/) [Franklin Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-foer/) > [“There's a strange uniformity in the vocabulary European soccer fans use to hate black people. The same primate insults get hurled. Although they've gotten…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-foer/there-s-a-strange-uniformity-in-the-vocabulary-european-soccer-fans/) [Franklin Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-foer/) > [Google's ability to pick winners and losers in the information world is a menace. These companies have the ability to determine which media companies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-foer/google-s-ability-to-pick-winners-and-losers-in-the-information-world/) [Franklin Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-foer/) > [One of Trump's vulnerabilities is that he doesn't always vet his people, whether it's business partners, the dubious characters he retweets, or the foreign…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-foer/one-of-trump-s-vulnerabilities-is-that-he-doesn-t-always-vet-his/) [Franklin Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-foer/) > [“The dream of stitching the world into a global village has been embodied in the nomenclature of modern technology—the net is interconnected, the Web…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-foer/the-dream-of-stitching-the-world-into-a-global-village-has-been/) [Franklin Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-foer/) > [“Soccer's appeal lay in its opposition to the other popular sports. 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But I think because I was so concerned about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-kenworthy/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-direct-correlation-between-my-sexuality-and/) [Gus Kenworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-kenworthy/) > [“the importance of ability. The things that make a great job great, I discovered, are rare and valuable. If you want them in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/the-importance-of-ability-the-things-that-make-a-great-job-great-i/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [Ambition drives you on, ability certainly helps, but the fickle finger of fate and luck are great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergus-henderson/ambition-drives-you-on-ability-certainly-helps-but-the-fickle-finger/) [Fergus Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergus-henderson/) > [The ability of the gospel to unite us on common strengths and common truths is one of the great miracles . . . of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-ability-of-the-gospel-to-unite-us-on-common-strengths-and-common/) [Jeffrey R. 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