--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you can write a nation's stories, you…" description: "\"If you can write a nation's stories, you needn't worry about who makes its laws. Today, television tells most of the stories to most of the people most..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9cf/george-gerbner-64886_ifs_if-you-can-write-a-nation-s-stories-you_152229.png" --- # If you can write a nation's stories, you needn't worry… ![“If you can write a nation's stories, you needn't worry about who makes its laws. Today, television tells most of the stories to most of the people most of the time.” quote by George Gerbner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9cf/george-gerbner-64886_ifs_if-you-can-write-a-nation-s-stories-you_152229.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9cf/george-gerbner-64886_ifs_if-you-can-write-a-nation-s-stories-you_152229.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9cf/george-gerbner-64886_ifs_if-you-can-write-a-nation-s-stories-you_152229.png) > “If you can write a nation's stories, you needn't worry about who makes its laws. Today, television tells most of the stories to most of the people most of the time.” [George Gerbner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gerbner/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Media shapes collective narratives, reducing the need for formal lawmaking to define a nation’s story. **In simple terms:** Stories dominate culture more than laws. Key Takeaway Recognize media’s power in shaping identity. Themes media culture politics Mood critical analytical Type informative reflective When to use this quote - political campaigns - education curricula - advertising strategies Key Concepts agenda setting framing public sphere Questions to Reflect On - What stories are missing from mainstream media? - How do you verify narrative sources? A Different Perspective May oversimplify complex issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Makes Laws](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/makes-laws-541077/) [Nation Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nation-stories-1691311/) [Nations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nations/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Television](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/television/) [Television Tells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/television-tells-1691310/) [Tells Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tells-stories-466019/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today/) [Worry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worry/) [Write Nation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write-nation-1061254/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [Let those who will write the nation's laws, if I can write its textbooks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-samuelson/let-those-who-will-write-the-nation-s-laws-if-i-can-write-its/) [Paul Samuelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-samuelson/) > [We have to face the unpleasant as well as the affirmative side of the human story, including our own story as a nation, our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-moyers/we-have-to-face-the-unpleasant-as-well-as-the-affirmative-side-of-the/) [Bill Moyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-moyers/) > [When you slide into television, no one tells you exactly how manage expectations and work with your staff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-holmes/when-you-slide-into-television-no-one-tells-you-exactly-how-manage/) [Pete Holmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-holmes/) > [Actually, television tells you to take dope. It tells you to destroy the human race really, by first having more consumers and then consuming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-purdy/actually-television-tells-you-to-take-dope-it-tells-you-to-destroy/) [James Purdy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-purdy/) > [Television tells us only the things it wants to. It still feeds us heroes, it still offers villains. And even though we know better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-redford/television-tells-us-only-the-things-it-wants-to-it-still-feeds-us/) [Robert Redford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-redford/) > [“You know, who tells the stories of a culture really governs human behaviour. It used to be the parent, the school, the church, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gerbner/you-know-who-tells-the-stories-of-a-culture-really-governs-human/) [George Gerbner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gerbner/) > [It is mediocrity which makes laws and sets mantraps and spring-guns in the realm of free song, saying thus far shalt thou go and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/it-is-mediocrity-which-makes-laws-and-sets-mantraps-and-spring-guns/) [James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lowell/) > [Permit me to issue and control the money of a nation, and I care not who makes its laws.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mayer-amschel-rothschild/permit-me-to-issue-and-control-the-money-of-a-nation-and-i-care-not/) [Mayer Amschel Rothschild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mayer-amschel-rothschild/) > [Let me make the superstitions of a nation and I care not who makes its laws or its songs either.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/let-me-make-the-superstitions-of-a-nation-and-i-care-not-who-makes/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [Give me control of a nation's money and I care not who makes her laws.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mayer-amschel-rothschild/give-me-control-of-a-nation-s-money-and-i-care-not-who-makes-her-laws/) [Mayer Amschel Rothschild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mayer-amschel-rothschild/) > [The right creative act makes its own laws, and always will do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/the-right-creative-act-makes-its-own-laws-and-always-will-do/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [But how is it now? All we get is orders; and the laws go out of the state. Them legislators set up there at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/but-how-is-it-now-all-we-get-is-orders-and-the-laws-go-out-of-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Once a nation parts with the control of its credit, it matters not who makes the laws.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lyon-mackenzie-king/once-a-nation-parts-with-the-control-of-its-credit-it-matters-not-who/) [William Lyon Mackenzie King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lyon-mackenzie-king/) > [Senator: Person who makes laws in Washington when not doing time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/senator-person-who-makes-laws-in-washington-when-not-doing-time/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [“Man makes the rules. God makes the laws. You can break one and maybe you survive.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-cameron/man-makes-the-rules-god-makes-the-laws-you-can-break-one-and-maybe/) [Marc Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-cameron/) ## More by George Gerbner > [Fearful people are more dependent, more easily manipulated and controlled, more susceptible to deceptively simple, strong, tough measures and hard-line postures. ... They may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gerbner/fearful-people-are-more-dependent-more-easily-manipulated-and/) [George Gerbner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gerbner/) > [On prime time entertainment television, scientists are most at risk. Ten percent of scientists featured in prime-time entertainment programming get killed, and five percent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gerbner/on-prime-time-entertainment-television-scientists-are-most-at-risk/) [George Gerbner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gerbner/) > [“You know, who tells the stories of a culture really governs human behaviour. It used to be the parent, the school, the church, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gerbner/you-know-who-tells-the-stories-of-a-culture-really-governs-human/) [George Gerbner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gerbner/) > [The product is the delivery of the largest number of people at the least cost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gerbner/the-product-is-the-delivery-of-the-largest-number-of-people-at-the/) [George Gerbner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gerbner/) [Explore all 5 George Gerbner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gerbner/) ## More Ifs quotes > [Women still, when they have breast cancer, go to work; they still lead their lives. They have to. I just did what I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-potter/women-still-when-they-have-breast-cancer-go-to-work-they-still-lead/) [Monica Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-potter/) > [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. The ego is part of our incarnation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/most-of-us-are-convinced-that-we-are-our-egos-which-is-who-we-think/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [Histories never conclude; they just pause their prose. Their stories are, if they are truthful, untidy affairs, resistant to windings-up and sortings-out. They beat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-schama/histories-never-conclude-they-just-pause-their-prose-their-stories/) [Simon Schama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-schama/) > [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/) [Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/) > [Many individuals spend a considerable portion of their lifetimes in terror of one imagined catastrophe or another. The classic is that your immortal soul…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-neil-smith/many-individuals-spend-a-considerable-portion-of-their-lifetimes-in/) [L. Neil Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-neil-smith/) > [Obviously, if you don't love life, you can't enjoy an oyster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-clark/obviously-if-you-don-t-love-life-you-can-t-enjoy-an-oyster/) [Eleanor Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-clark/) > [If I don't have pressure, I don't function.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferran-adria/if-i-don-t-have-pressure-i-don-t-function/) [Ferran Adria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferran-adria/) > [If you restore a car, and you're making money, then you're doing it wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/if-you-restore-a-car-and-you-re-making-money-then-you-re-doing-it/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [If we gave up our freedom as the price of security, we would no longer be the great nation that we are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bader-ginsburg/if-we-gave-up-our-freedom-as-the-price-of-security-we-would-no-longer/) [Ruth Bader Ginsburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bader-ginsburg/) > [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/) > [Nothing is so powerful as an insight into human nature... what compulsions drive a man, what instincts dominate his action. If you know these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bernbach/nothing-is-so-powerful-as-an-insight-into-human-nature-what/) [William Bernbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bernbach/) > [But we are convinced that if we are to play a meaningful role nationally, and in the community of nations, we must be second…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikram-sarabhai/but-we-are-convinced-that-if-we-are-to-play-a-meaningful-role/) [Vikram Sarabhai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikram-sarabhai/) > [The thing about hitting kids is, think about if you were doing the same thing to another adult. Hitting your kid is really the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-braff/the-thing-about-hitting-kids-is-think-about-if-you-were-doing-the/) [Zach Braff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-braff/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) [Browse all 94,303 Ifs quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If you can write a nation's stories, you needn't worry about who makes its laws. Today, television tells most of the stories to most of the people most of the time.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "George Gerbner" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gerbner/if-you-can-write-a-nation-s-stories-you-needn-t-worry-about-who-makes/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ifs" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gerbner/if-you-can-write-a-nation-s-stories-you-needn-t-worry-about-who-makes/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9cf/george-gerbner-64886_ifs_if-you-can-write-a-nation-s-stories-you_152229.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9cf/george-gerbner-64886_ifs_if-you-can-write-a-nation-s-stories-you_152229.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9cf/george-gerbner-64886_ifs_if-you-can-write-a-nation-s-stories-you_152229.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If you can write a nation's stories, you needn't worry about who makes its laws. Today, television tells…” — George Gerbner", "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": "George Gerbner", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gerbner/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If you can write a nation's...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gerbner/if-you-can-write-a-nation-s-stories-you-needn-t-worry-about-who-makes/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gerbner/if-you-can-write-a-nation-s-stories-you-needn-t-worry-about-who-makes/#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 } } ] } ```