--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I've always thought of myself as a…" description: "\"I've always thought of myself as a reporter.\" — Gwendolyn Brooks" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a00/gwendolyn-brooks-5624_journalism_i-ve-always-thought-of-myself-as-a-repor_1415743.png" --- # I've always thought of myself as a reporter. ![“I've always thought of myself as a reporter.” quote by Gwendolyn Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a00/gwendolyn-brooks-5624_journalism_i-ve-always-thought-of-myself-as-a-repor_1415743.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a00/gwendolyn-brooks-5624_journalism_i-ve-always-thought-of-myself-as-a-repor_1415743.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a00/gwendolyn-brooks-5624_journalism_i-ve-always-thought-of-myself-as-a-repor_1415743.png) > “I've always thought of myself as a reporter.” [Gwendolyn Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwendolyn-brooks/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She sees herself as a journalist, implying a commitment to observation and truth‑telling. **In simple terms:** Self‑identifies as a reporter. Key Takeaway Pursue truth in your work. Themes journalism identity observation Mood thoughtful analytical Type professional reflective When to use this quote - reporting - writing - social commentary Key Concepts media studies personal narrative Questions to Reflect On - What truths do you feel compelled to report? - How does reporting shape your worldview? A Different Perspective Being a reporter may conflict with artistic freedom. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Journalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journalism/) [Reporter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reporter/) [Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought/) ## Related quotes > [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/) > [I've never thought in terms of 'men do this' and 'women do that.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carly-fiorina/i-ve-never-thought-in-terms-of-men-do-this-and-women-do-that/) [Carly Fiorina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carly-fiorina/) > [I’ve always thought of myself as shy,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholson-baker/i-ve-always-thought-of-myself-as-shy/) [Nicholson Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholson-baker/) > [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/) > [In a very straightforward way, I am a terrible reporter. I'm not someone who can go into a story and not get involved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janine-di-giovanni/in-a-very-straightforward-way-i-am-a-terrible-reporter-i-m-not/) [Janine di Giovanni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janine-di-giovanni/) > [“A reporter who makes actual money for asking question so dumb they are surreal will inquire, "How did you feel?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/a-reporter-who-makes-actual-money-for-asking-question-so-dumb-they/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [I never wanted to be a reporter. I took a job at the New York Post as a clerk because I couldn't get a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-haberman/i-never-wanted-to-be-a-reporter-i-took-a-job-at-the-new-york-post-as/) [Maggie Haberman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-haberman/) > [“The thrill of working in this building, with its iconic globe on top, would never fade.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwenda-bond/the-thrill-of-working-in-this-building-with-its-iconic-globe-on-top/) [Gwenda Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwenda-bond/) > [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/) > [I worked in three local news markets and in every single one of them, they said: 'You're a lousy anchor. We would love to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-vargas/i-worked-in-three-local-news-markets-and-in-every-single-one-of-them/) [Elizabeth Vargas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-vargas/) > [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/) > [It's astonishing what you learn and feel and see along the way. That's why a reporter's job, as you know, is such a joy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-wallace/it-s-astonishing-what-you-learn-and-feel-and-see-along-the-way-that-s/) [Mike Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-wallace/) > [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/) > [Now you see me now you don't. You must've thought I'd never go. Thanks to you I'm taking back my soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fefe-dobson/now-you-see-me-now-you-don-t-you-must-ve-thought-i-d-never-go-thanks/) [Fefe Dobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fefe-dobson/) > [I guess I've never really wanted to be anything else. I've never even thought about having another job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-farrell/i-guess-i-ve-never-really-wanted-to-be-anything-else-i-ve-never-even/) [Owen Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-farrell/) ## More by Gwendolyn Brooks > [My last defense / Is the present tense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwendolyn-brooks/my-last-defense-is-the-present-tense/) [Gwendolyn Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwendolyn-brooks/) > [Nothing could stop Mississippi.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwendolyn-brooks/nothing-could-stop-mississippi/) [Gwendolyn Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwendolyn-brooks/) > [Very early in life I became fascinated with the wonders language can achieve. And I began playing with words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwendolyn-brooks/very-early-in-life-i-became-fascinated-with-the-wonders-language-can/) [Gwendolyn Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwendolyn-brooks/) > [We real cool. We Left school. We Lurk late. We Strike straight. We Sing sin. We Thin gin. We Jazz June. We Die soon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwendolyn-brooks/we-real-cool-we-left-school-we-lurk-late-we-strike-straight-we-sing/) [Gwendolyn Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwendolyn-brooks/) > [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/) > [She was afraid to suggest to him that to most people, nothing "happens." That most people merely live from day to day until they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwendolyn-brooks/she-was-afraid-to-suggest-to-him-that-to-most-people-nothing-happens/) [Gwendolyn Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwendolyn-brooks/) > [A writer should get as much education as possible, but just going to school is not enough; if it were, all owners of doctorates…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwendolyn-brooks/a-writer-should-get-as-much-education-as-possible-but-just-going-to/) [Gwendolyn Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwendolyn-brooks/) > [Reading is important - read between the lines. Don't swallow everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwendolyn-brooks/reading-is-important-read-between-the-lines-don-t-swallow-everything/) [Gwendolyn Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwendolyn-brooks/) > [No man can give me any word but Wait.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwendolyn-brooks/no-man-can-give-me-any-word-but-wait/) [Gwendolyn Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwendolyn-brooks/) > [The forties and fifties were years of high poet-incense; the language-flowers were thickly sweet. Those flowers whined and begged white folks to pick them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwendolyn-brooks/the-forties-and-fifties-were-years-of-high-poet-incense-the-language/) [Gwendolyn Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwendolyn-brooks/) > [It frightens me to realize that, if I had died before the age of fifty, I would have died a 'Negro' fraction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwendolyn-brooks/it-frightens-me-to-realize-that-if-i-had-died-before-the-age-of-fifty/) [Gwendolyn Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwendolyn-brooks/) > [One reason cats are happier than people is that they have no newspapers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwendolyn-brooks/one-reason-cats-are-happier-than-people-is-that-they-have-no/) [Gwendolyn Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwendolyn-brooks/) > [We are each other's magnitude and bond.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwendolyn-brooks/we-are-each-other-s-magnitude-and-bond/) [Gwendolyn Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwendolyn-brooks/) > [What I'm fighting for now in my work... for an expression relevant to all manner of blacks, poems I could take into a tavern,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwendolyn-brooks/what-i-m-fighting-for-now-in-my-work-for-an-expression-relevant-to/) [Gwendolyn Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwendolyn-brooks/) > [And if sun comes / How shall we greet him? / Shall we not dread him, / Shall we not fear him / After…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwendolyn-brooks/and-if-sun-comes-how-shall-we-greet-him-shall-we-not-dread-him-shall/) [Gwendolyn Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwendolyn-brooks/) [Explore all 100 Gwendolyn Brooks quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwendolyn-brooks/) ## 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": "I've always thought of myself as a reporter.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Gwendolyn Brooks" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwendolyn-brooks/i-ve-always-thought-of-myself-as-a-reporter/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Journalism" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwendolyn-brooks/i-ve-always-thought-of-myself-as-a-reporter/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a00/gwendolyn-brooks-5624_journalism_i-ve-always-thought-of-myself-as-a-repor_1415743.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a00/gwendolyn-brooks-5624_journalism_i-ve-always-thought-of-myself-as-a-repor_1415743.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a00/gwendolyn-brooks-5624_journalism_i-ve-always-thought-of-myself-as-a-repor_1415743.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I've always thought of myself as a reporter.” — Gwendolyn Brooks", "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": "Gwendolyn Brooks", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwendolyn-brooks/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I've always thought of myself as...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwendolyn-brooks/i-ve-always-thought-of-myself-as-a-reporter/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwendolyn-brooks/i-ve-always-thought-of-myself-as-a-reporter/#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 } } ] } ```