---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: An editorial writer might consult a…"
description: "\"An editorial writer might consult a reporter to see what she thinks, if it is what she covers. But they are entirely independent.\" — Gene Weingarten"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/584/gene-weingarten-5231_editorials_an-editorial-writer-might-consult-a-repo_2178941.png"
---

#  An editorial writer might consult a reporter to see what…

![“An editorial writer might consult a reporter to see what she thinks, if it is what she covers. But they are entirely independent.” quote by Gene Weingarten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/584/gene-weingarten-5231_editorials_an-editorial-writer-might-consult-a-repo_2178941.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/584/gene-weingarten-5231_editorials_an-editorial-writer-might-consult-a-repo_2178941.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/584/gene-weingarten-5231_editorials_an-editorial-writer-might-consult-a-repo_2178941.png)

> “An editorial writer might consult a reporter to see what she thinks, if it is what she covers. But they are entirely independent.”

[Gene Weingarten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-weingarten/)

## About This Quote

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

Editorial independence means writers may consult reporters for insight, but they must maintain their own perspective.

**In simple terms:** Stay independent.

Key Takeaway

Preserve editorial autonomy.

Themes

journalism independence collaboration

Mood

analytical critical

Type

advice professional

When to use this quote

- newsrooms
- opinion pieces
- research
- interviews

Key Concepts

media ethics information flow

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you balance input and independence?
- When is collaboration essential?

A Different Perspective

Overreliance on sources can bias content.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Consult Reporter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consult-reporter-4698333/) [Editorial Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/editorial-writer-4698332/) [Editorials](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/editorials/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Independent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/independent/) [Journalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journalism/) [Might](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/might/) [Reporter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reporter/) [Reporter Thinks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reporter-thinks-2150403/) [Reporters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reporters/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/)

## Related quotes

> [Obviously, if the commander makes certain decisions that the reporter thinks is inhibiting his right to report a legitimate story, he has to appeal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-schieffer/obviously-if-the-commander-makes-certain-decisions-that-the-reporter/)

[Bob Schieffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-schieffer/)

> [ \[Max Askeli\] started this very good magazine \[The Reporter\]. In fact, Meg Greenfield, who's now the editorial page editor of The Washington Post, was… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-hentoff/max-askeli-started-this-very-good-magazine-the-reporter-in-fact-meg/)

[Nat Hentoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-hentoff/)

> [I believe the publisher is a member of the editorial board, and I think his vote would matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-weingarten/i-believe-the-publisher-is-a-member-of-the-editorial-board-and-i/)

[Gene Weingarten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-weingarten/)

> [The total wall is between editorial and newsroom. And unbreachable barrier. For good reason. It doesn't mean the two sides don't talk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-weingarten/the-total-wall-is-between-editorial-and-newsroom-and-unbreachable/)

[Gene Weingarten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-weingarten/)

> [Editorials are editorials. They a supposed to have an opinion, even a very strong one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-weingarten/editorials-are-editorials-they-a-supposed-to-have-an-opinion-even-a/)

[Gene Weingarten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-weingarten/)

> [Donald Trump has come on a lot and I think one of the hardest parts of my job is digging down beyond their talking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-bartiromo/donald-trump-has-come-on-a-lot-and-i-think-one-of-the-hardest-parts/)

[Maria Bartiromo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-bartiromo/)

> [I've always thought of myself as a reporter. When people ask why I don't stop writing, I say, 'Look at what's happening in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwendolyn-brooks/i-ve-always-thought-of-myself-as-a-reporter-when-people-ask-why-i-don/)

[Gwendolyn Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwendolyn-brooks/)

> [After nine or 10 years of being interviewed, you start wanting to team up with the reporter and get the job done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-travolta/after-nine-or-10-years-of-being-interviewed-you-start-wanting-to-team/)

[John Travolta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-travolta/)

> [Maybe it has something to do with being a reporter for a long time that I don't look to newspapers and television and so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-connelly/maybe-it-has-something-to-do-with-being-a-reporter-for-a-long-time/)

[Michael Connelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-connelly/)

> [My first film role was a reporter. It's funny, because my father was a news reporter. I always thought there was something strange about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-jacobson/my-first-film-role-was-a-reporter-it-s-funny-because-my-father-was-a/)

[Peter Jacobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-jacobson/)

> [I think as an investigative reporter I had tough standards, but I don't think of myself as a tough person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-abramson/i-think-as-an-investigative-reporter-i-had-tough-standards-but-i-don/)

[Jill Abramson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-abramson/)

> [No reporter of my generation, whatever his genius, ever really rated spats and a walking stick until he had covered both a lynching and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/no-reporter-of-my-generation-whatever-his-genius-ever-really-rated/)

[H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/)

> [Every newspaper editor says the heart of the paper is the reporter - which is true - except for the pay!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-germond/every-newspaper-editor-says-the-heart-of-the-paper-is-the-reporter/)

[Jack Germond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-germond/)

> [I decided very early that I was going to be a reporter, that I would not cheer for the team. I don't denigrate people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-harwell/i-decided-very-early-that-i-was-going-to-be-a-reporter-that-i-would/)

[Ernie Harwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-harwell/)

> [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/)

## More by Gene Weingarten

> [I do not believe in public shaming. I do believe that young adults go to college to learn things, and that this process will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-weingarten/i-do-not-believe-in-public-shaming-i-do-believe-that-young-adults-go/)

[Gene Weingarten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-weingarten/)

> [Being "Jewish" is way stronger culturally than it is religiously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-weingarten/being-jewish-is-way-stronger-culturally-than-it-is-religiously/)

[Gene Weingarten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-weingarten/)

> [Donald Trump is way worse than George W. Bush. George W. Bush is a fundamentally decent man of limited intelligence who surrounded himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-weingarten/donald-trump-is-way-worse-than-george-w-bush-george-w-bush-is-a/)

[Gene Weingarten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-weingarten/)

> [I think Trump is simply inept, incapable of rescuing himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-weingarten/i-think-trump-is-simply-inept-incapable-of-rescuing-himself/)

[Gene Weingarten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-weingarten/)

> [My neighborhood is fairly white, yet the local middle school is all black. It is bad. It is very bad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-weingarten/my-neighborhood-is-fairly-white-yet-the-local-middle-school-is-all/)

[Gene Weingarten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-weingarten/)

> [Donald Trump would never belong to a church that required a ten percent hit. He's too smart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-weingarten/donald-trump-would-never-belong-to-a-church-that-required-a-ten/)

[Gene Weingarten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-weingarten/)

> [Editorials are editorials. They a supposed to have an opinion, even a very strong one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-weingarten/editorials-are-editorials-they-a-supposed-to-have-an-opinion-even-a/)

[Gene Weingarten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-weingarten/)

> [I think Donald Trump's going to quickly disappear from radar.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-weingarten/i-think-donald-trump-s-going-to-quickly-disappear-from-radar/)

[Gene Weingarten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-weingarten/)

> [I don't think the people of Chicago should be robbed of their birthright to be perennial losers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-weingarten/i-don-t-think-the-people-of-chicago-should-be-robbed-of-their/)

[Gene Weingarten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-weingarten/)

> [The verb "Garland" should be created. It would mean to unfairly put a stinking albatross around someone's neck, to make him unemployable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-weingarten/the-verb-garland-should-be-created-it-would-mean-to-unfairly-put-a/)

[Gene Weingarten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-weingarten/)

> [Being both stupid and ignorant is an accomplishment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-weingarten/being-both-stupid-and-ignorant-is-an-accomplishment/)

[Gene Weingarten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-weingarten/)

> [Donald Trump's humor is hostile to a fault.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-weingarten/donald-trump-s-humor-is-hostile-to-a-fault/)

[Gene Weingarten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-weingarten/)

> [I personally favor old mechanical watches, but my snobbery does not extend to demanding that all people wear them. My snobbery demands that no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-weingarten/i-personally-favor-old-mechanical-watches-but-my-snobbery-does-not/)

[Gene Weingarten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-weingarten/)

> [Rhyme is cool again. It's because of hip-hop. Bless you, hip-hop.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-weingarten/rhyme-is-cool-again-it-s-because-of-hip-hop-bless-you-hip-hop/)

[Gene Weingarten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-weingarten/)

> [I read a lot of conservatives. They are thoughtful and intelligent and annoying, and I always read them because they have viewpoints that challenge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-weingarten/i-read-a-lot-of-conservatives-they-are-thoughtful-and-intelligent-and/)

[Gene Weingarten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-weingarten/)

[Explore all 102 Gene Weingarten quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-weingarten/)

## More Editorials quotes

> [The media is tremendously important for all governments that are able to communicate through the it. It doesn't mean there is a balance of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-harper/the-media-is-tremendously-important-for-all-governments-that-are-able/)

[Stephen Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-harper/)

> [Real writers-that is, capital W Writers-rarely make much money. Their biggest reward is the occasional reader's response… Commentators-in-print voicing big fat opinions-you might call…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-forbes/real-writers-that-is-capital-w-writers-rarely-make-much-money-their/)

[Malcolm Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-forbes/)

> [I do love editorials - youre free to do whatever you want and portray a different character.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacquelyn-jablonski/i-do-love-editorials-youre-free-to-do-whatever-you-want-and-portray-a/)

[Jacquelyn Jablonski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacquelyn-jablonski/)

> [It is beginning to be doubtful whether Parliament and Congress sit in Westminster and Washington, or in the editorial rooms of the leading journals,--so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/it-is-beginning-to-be-doubtful-whether-parliament-and-congress-sit-in/)

[James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lowell/)

> [Vanity Fair has but two major articles in its editorial creed: first, to believe in the progress and promise of American life, and, second,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-crowninshield/vanity-fair-has-but-two-major-articles-in-its-editorial-creed-first/)

[Frank Crowninshield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-crowninshield/)

> [ Broadly speaking, in the past few years, we've more than doubled the editorial staff \[in Mother Jones\], as part of ramping up daily operations… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clara-jeffery/broadly-speaking-in-the-past-few-years-we-ve-more-than-doubled-the/)

[Clara Jeffery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clara-jeffery/)

> [If you give a little credit to the concept of the artist, I think you ought to indulge excesses a bit, because that reflects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-watterson/if-you-give-a-little-credit-to-the-concept-of-the-artist-i-think-you/)

[Bill Watterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-watterson/)

> [I think we need editorial oversight now more than ever. Anything we can do to help newspapers find new ways of expression that will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/i-think-we-need-editorial-oversight-now-more-than-ever-anything-we/)

[Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/)

> [Someone said to me that we have to encourage more young women to want top-level editing jobs. I think that will happen naturally as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-friedman/someone-said-to-me-that-we-have-to-encourage-more-young-women-to-want/)

[Ann Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-friedman/)

> [In my first year or so at the 'Post,' I began to write with some frequency on the least important issues - so-called light…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-graham/in-my-first-year-or-so-at-the-post-i-began-to-write-with-some/)

[Katharine Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-graham/)

> [Editorials are editorials. They a supposed to have an opinion, even a very strong one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-weingarten/editorials-are-editorials-they-a-supposed-to-have-an-opinion-even-a/)

[Gene Weingarten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-weingarten/)

> [Whenever I write anything that sets up controversy its meaning is distorted almost instantly. Even the editorial writers of newspapers seem to be unable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/whenever-i-write-anything-that-sets-up-controversy-its-meaning-is/)

[H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/)

> [Those who write the editorials and those who write the columns, they simply are unaccountable. They're free to impose their cultural politics in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-jackson/those-who-write-the-editorials-and-those-who-write-the-columns-they/)

[Jesse Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-jackson/)

> [Any expensive ad represents the toil, attention, testing, wit, art, and skill of many people. Far more thought and care go into the composition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-mcluhan/any-expensive-ad-represents-the-toil-attention-testing-wit-art-and/)

[Marshall McLuhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-mcluhan/)

> [My days are kind of controlled by my projects, so sometimes they're album covers. Sometimes they're commission portrait shoots. Sometimes they are editorial, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-friedman/my-days-are-kind-of-controlled-by-my-projects-so-sometimes-they-re/)

[Carol Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-friedman/)

[Browse all 121 Editorials quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/editorials/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "An editorial writer might consult a reporter to see what she thinks, if it is what she covers. But they are entirely independent.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Gene Weingarten"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-weingarten/an-editorial-writer-might-consult-a-reporter-to-see-what-she-thinks/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Editorials"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-weingarten/an-editorial-writer-might-consult-a-reporter-to-see-what-she-thinks/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/584/gene-weingarten-5231_editorials_an-editorial-writer-might-consult-a-repo_2178941.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/584/gene-weingarten-5231_editorials_an-editorial-writer-might-consult-a-repo_2178941.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/584/gene-weingarten-5231_editorials_an-editorial-writer-might-consult-a-repo_2178941.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“An editorial writer might consult a reporter to see what she thinks, if it is what she covers. But they are…” — Gene Weingarten",
                "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": "Gene Weingarten",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-weingarten/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "An editorial writer might consult a...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-weingarten/an-editorial-writer-might-consult-a-reporter-to-see-what-she-thinks/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-weingarten/an-editorial-writer-might-consult-a-reporter-to-see-what-she-thinks/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```