--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Of course, it is possible for any citizen…" description: "\"Of course, it is possible for any citizen with time to spare, and a canny eye, to work out what is actually going on, but for the many there is not tim..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/041/gore-vidal-466_citizens_of-course-it-is-possible-for-any-citizen_281467.jpg" --- # Of course, it is possible for any citizen with time to… ![“Of course, it is possible for any citizen with time to spare, and a canny eye, to work out what is actually going on, but for the many there is not time, and the network news is the only news even though it may not be news at all but only a series of flashing fictions...” quote by Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/041/gore-vidal-466_citizens_of-course-it-is-possible-for-any-citizen_281467.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/041/gore-vidal-466_citizens_of-course-it-is-possible-for-any-citizen_281467.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/041/gore-vidal-466_citizens_of-course-it-is-possible-for-any-citizen_281467.jpg) > “Of course, it is possible for any citizen with time to spare, and a canny eye, to work out what is actually going on, but for the many there is not time, and the network news is the only news even though it may not be news at all but only a series of flashing fictions...” [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Citizens can discern truth if they have time and attention, but most rely on superficial news that often lacks substance. **In simple terms:** People can see reality with effort, but most get shallow news. Key Takeaway Seek deeper sources beyond headline news. Themes media literacy critical thinking information overload Mood skeptical inquisitive Type analytical critical When to use this quote - political analysis - media consumption - education - activism Key Concepts journalism public discourse attention economy Questions to Reflect On - How can you verify news beyond headlines? - What habits help you avoid superficial reporting? A Different Perspective Even with effort, truth can be hidden by biased framing. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Citizen Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/citizen-time-2729203/) [Citizens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/citizens/) [Courses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courses/) [Eye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eye/) [Fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fiction/) [Journalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journalism/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Media](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/media/) [Network News](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/network-news-696224/) [News](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/news/) [News Series](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/news-series-2729202/) [Possible Citizen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/possible-citizen-1372531/) [Series](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/series/) [Spares](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spares/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Time Network](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time-network-2729204/) [Work out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-out/) ## Related quotes > [“My favorite time to network is now. 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They encouraged me to work hard and told me that anything was possible for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-guerrero/my-parents-instilled-a-lot-of-american-values-in-me-they-encouraged/) [Diane Guerrero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-guerrero/) > [It's kind of a strange world when you can trust a game format or platform more than the network news.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ironside/it-s-kind-of-a-strange-world-when-you-can-trust-a-game-format-or/) [Michael Ironside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ironside/) > [People don't have to go to cable news or network news. Live sports is the one of many things that's kind of community television.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-blodget/people-don-t-have-to-go-to-cable-news-or-network-news-live-sports-is/) [Henry Blodget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-blodget/) > [I know the rigors of network news. I didn't want to be jumping on an airplane twice a week. I didn't want to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-clayson/i-know-the-rigors-of-network-news-i-didn-t-want-to-be-jumping-on-an/) [Jane Clayson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-clayson/) > [Bad news drives out good news. The irrational is more controversial than the rational. Concurrence can no longer compete with dissent. One minute of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spiro-t-agnew/bad-news-drives-out-good-news-the-irrational-is-more-controversial/) [Spiro T. Agnew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spiro-t-agnew/) > [People essentially like local news better than network news.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roone-arledge/people-essentially-like-local-news-better-than-network-news/) [Roone Arledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roone-arledge/) > [Network news will still play an incredibly important role in this country, but the world that Peter, Tom and Dan began covering 25 years…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-zucker/network-news-will-still-play-an-incredibly-important-role-in-this/) [Jeff Zucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-zucker/) > [My worry about the New York Times is that it's got the only position as a national elitist general-interest paper. So the network news…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-murdoch/my-worry-about-the-new-york-times-is-that-it-s-got-the-only-position/) [Rupert Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-murdoch/) > [Once you get off the network news train, it's hard to get back on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-clayson/once-you-get-off-the-network-news-train-it-s-hard-to-get-back-on/) [Jane Clayson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-clayson/) > [There are lots of reasons fewer people are watching network news, and one of them, I'm more convinced than ever, is that our viewers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-goldberg/there-are-lots-of-reasons-fewer-people-are-watching-network-news-and/) [Bernard Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-goldberg/) > [My role, or anyone's role in network news, is to make the person on camera look good. 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Republicans are a bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/there-is-only-one-party-in-the-united-states-the-property-party-and/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [Many people in the United States happen to believe that United States policy is wrong in Vietnam and the Vietcong are correct in wanting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/many-people-in-the-united-states-happen-to-believe-that-united-states/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [“It is curious how little interested we are in the sexual desires of those who do not attract us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/it-is-curious-how-little-interested-we-are-in-the-sexual-desires-of/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [This separation was absolute in our original Republic. But the sky-godders do not give up easily. 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Words are used to disguise, not to illuminate, action: you liberate a city by destroying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/as-societies-grow-decadent-the-language-grows-decadent-too-words-are/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [Rome ... at its most decadent, had never thought of hiring an actor to go through the motions of being an emperor while the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/rome-at-its-most-decadent-had-never-thought-of-hiring-an-actor-to-go/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [History is nothing but gossip about the past, with the hope that it might be true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/history-is-nothing-but-gossip-about-the-past-with-the-hope-that-it/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [The malady of civilized man is his knowledge of death. 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