--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Never refuse an assignment except when…" description: "\"Never refuse an assignment except when there is a conflict of interest, a potential of danger to you or your family, or you hold a strongly biased atti..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed6/jessica-savitch-11340_assignment_never-refuse-an-assignment-except-when-t_3074757.jpg" --- # Never refuse an assignment except when there is a conflict… ![“Never refuse an assignment except when there is a conflict of interest, a potential of danger to you or your family, or you hold a strongly biased attitude about the subject under focus.” quote by Jessica Savitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed6/jessica-savitch-11340_assignment_never-refuse-an-assignment-except-when-t_3074757.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed6/jessica-savitch-11340_assignment_never-refuse-an-assignment-except-when-t_3074757.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed6/jessica-savitch-11340_assignment_never-refuse-an-assignment-except-when-t_3074757.jpg) > “Never refuse an assignment except when there is a conflict of interest, a potential of danger to you or your family, or you hold a strongly biased attitude about the subject under focus.” [Jessica Savitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-savitch/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. One should decline tasks only when they conflict with personal safety, family, or impartiality. **In simple terms:** Avoid assignments that threaten safety or bias. Key Takeaway Prioritize integrity and safety. Themes ethics conflict of interest professionalism safety bias Mood serious thoughtful Type ethical advisory When to use this quote - news reporting - legal advice - personal decision making Key Concepts moral duty risk assessment journalistic standards Questions to Reflect On - When is a conflict truly a conflict? - How to balance duty and personal values? A Different Perspective Sometimes conflict is ambiguous and hard to identify. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Assignment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assignment/) [Assignment Conflict](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assignment-conflict-5218111/) [Attitude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attitude/) [Biased](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/biased/) [Biased Attitude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/biased-attitude-5218112/) [Conflict](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conflict/) [Conflict of interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conflict-of-interest/) [Danger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/danger/) [Family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family/) [Focus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus/) [Interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interest/) [Refuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/refuse/) [Refuse Assignment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/refuse-assignment-5218110/) [Strongly Biased](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strongly-biased-5218113/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [ \[Donald Trump\] has moved to admit that there is a conflict of interest now and he needs to do something. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-l-eisen/donald-trump-has-moved-to-admit-that-there-is-a-conflict-of-interest/) [Norman L. Eisen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-l-eisen/) > [Ionizing radiation may well be the most important single cause of cancer, birth defects and genetic disorders... The stakes for human health are very,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gofman/ionizing-radiation-may-well-be-the-most-important-single-cause-of/) [John Gofman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gofman/) > [What is... disturbing to me is that many of these pro-Israeli lawmakers sit on the House International Relations Committee despite the obvious conflict of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-mckinney/what-is-disturbing-to-me-is-that-many-of-these-pro-israeli-lawmakers/) [Cynthia McKinney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-mckinney/) > [ Stepping back from running \[Donald Trump\] positions is meaningless from a conflict of interests perspective. The presidency is a full-time job and he would… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reince-priebus/stepping-back-from-running-donald-trump-positions-is-meaningless-from/) [Reince Priebus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reince-priebus/) > [I am concerned that Donald Trump walks into the White House a walking conflict of interest in violation of the emoluments clause of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katrina-vanden-heuvel/i-am-concerned-that-donald-trump-walks-into-the-white-house-a-walking/) [Katrina vanden Heuvel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katrina-vanden-heuvel/) > [“However, family and friends can be in a financial or emotional conflict of interest with the welfare of an incompetent patient.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-d-pellegrino/however-family-and-friends-can-be-in-a-financial-or-emotional/) [Edmund D. Pellegrino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-d-pellegrino/) > [The president can't have a conflict of interest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/the-president-can-t-have-a-conflict-of-interest/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [ We learned that President-elect \[Donald\] Trump intends to keep his executive producer title on Celebrity Apprentice. We know he's going to come out later… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-stephanopoulos/we-learned-that-president-elect-donald-trump-intends-to-keep-his/) [George Stephanopoulos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-stephanopoulos/) > [I gave up music criticism because of the increasingly obvious conflict of interest. I couldn't say anything bad about the records when I might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephin-merritt/i-gave-up-music-criticism-because-of-the-increasingly-obvious/) [Stephin Merritt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephin-merritt/) > [“The popular media and conventional wisdom, including the medical profession's traditional approach to nutrition, have created and continue to perpetuate this problem through inadequate,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-hoggan/the-popular-media-and-conventional-wisdom-including-the-medical/) [Ron Hoggan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-hoggan/) > [I am so passionate about Pakistan cricket that I would never ever put myself in a position where there will be a conflict of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mickey-arthur/i-am-so-passionate-about-pakistan-cricket-that-i-would-never-ever-put/) [Mickey Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mickey-arthur/) > [“By 1952, the University of Minnesota nutritionist Ancel Keys was arguing that high blood levels of cholesterol caused heart disease, and that it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-taubes/by-1952-the-university-of-minnesota-nutritionist-ancel-keys-was/) [Gary Taubes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-taubes/) > [Good law includes a commitment to transparency and an insistence that no person or entity with a conflict of interest should have influence on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-romer/good-law-includes-a-commitment-to-transparency-and-an-insistence-that/) [Paul Romer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-romer/) > [“ Solution #1. ELIMINATE PAYOFFS IN CLINICS TO PROMOTE VACCINATIONS. It should be illegal for doctors to accept bonuses or other incentives from insurance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-heartland/solution-1-eliminate-payoffs-in-clinics-to-promote-vaccinations-it/) [stephen heartland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-heartland/) > [Did it ever occur to you, that there is no conflict of interests among men, neither in business nor in trade nor in their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/did-it-ever-occur-to-you-that-there-is-no-conflict-of-interests-among/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) ## More by Jessica Savitch > [The news anchor is exactly that - an anchor, a center, a focus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-savitch/the-news-anchor-is-exactly-that-an-anchor-a-center-a-focus/) [Jessica Savitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-savitch/) > [Every time I am in danger of believing the glamour of my own press, some incident inevitably brings me back to earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-savitch/every-time-i-am-in-danger-of-believing-the-glamour-of-my-own-press/) [Jessica Savitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-savitch/) > [News events cannot be controlled, nor can newscasts be mapped out like entertainment shows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-savitch/news-events-cannot-be-controlled-nor-can-newscasts-be-mapped-out-like/) [Jessica Savitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-savitch/) > [My goal was to be a network correspondent by the time I was 30.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-savitch/my-goal-was-to-be-a-network-correspondent-by-the-time-i-was-30/) [Jessica Savitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-savitch/) > [I have had a lifelong phobia of snakes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-savitch/i-have-had-a-lifelong-phobia-of-snakes/) [Jessica Savitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-savitch/) > [The better the coverage, the more discriminating the viewer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-savitch/the-better-the-coverage-the-more-discriminating-the-viewer/) [Jessica Savitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-savitch/) > [By far my most perilous assignment was covering a tank car explosion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-savitch/by-far-my-most-perilous-assignment-was-covering-a-tank-car-explosion/) [Jessica Savitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-savitch/) > [Our free enterprise system of disseminating information is collectively referred to as The Media. But there is no collective.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-savitch/our-free-enterprise-system-of-disseminating-information-is/) [Jessica Savitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-savitch/) > [A press card does not provide you with an invisible shield. You're flesh and blood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-savitch/a-press-card-does-not-provide-you-with-an-invisible-shield-you-re/) [Jessica Savitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-savitch/) > [In the beginning, my mother humored me when I told her I wanted to be a reporter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-savitch/in-the-beginning-my-mother-humored-me-when-i-told-her-i-wanted-to-be/) [Jessica Savitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-savitch/) > [In interviews I gave early on in my career, I was quoted as saying it was possible to have it all: a dynamic job,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-savitch/in-interviews-i-gave-early-on-in-my-career-i-was-quoted-as-saying-it/) [Jessica Savitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-savitch/) > [Television is intensely personal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-savitch/television-is-intensely-personal/) [Jessica Savitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-savitch/) > [Anyone who writes an autobiographical work at the age of 34 is, at best, presumptuous. It occurred to me that it was time to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-savitch/anyone-who-writes-an-autobiographical-work-at-the-age-of-34-is-at/) [Jessica Savitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-savitch/) > [When I first anchored in 1970, I had never seen a woman anchor a news show.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-savitch/when-i-first-anchored-in-1970-i-had-never-seen-a-woman-anchor-a-news/) [Jessica Savitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-savitch/) > [Being a novelty had its advantages.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-savitch/being-a-novelty-had-its-advantages/) [Jessica Savitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-savitch/) [Explore all 60 Jessica Savitch quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-savitch/) ## More Assignment quotes > [Do not delegate an assignment and then attempt to manage it yourself - you will make an enemy of the overruled subordinate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wess-roberts/do-not-delegate-an-assignment-and-then-attempt-to-manage-it-yourself/) [Wess Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wess-roberts/) > [I am honored to be chosen to serve on the Education and Labor committee. This assignment will give me the opportunity to work on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-steel/i-am-honored-to-be-chosen-to-serve-on-the-education-and-labor/) [Michelle Steel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-steel/) > [“When a man begins to do that which is assigned to him, it becomes as if he is more endowed and favoured than his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ogwo-david-emenike/when-a-man-begins-to-do-that-which-is-assigned-to-him-it-becomes-as/) [Ogwo David Emenike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ogwo-david-emenike/) > [Just how we fit into the plans of the Great Architect and how much he has assigned us to do we do not know,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-andrews-millikan/just-how-we-fit-into-the-plans-of-the-great-architect-and-how-much-he/) [Robert Andrews Millikan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-andrews-millikan/) > [“The sum of our relationship with God enables us to take the next step, climb the next mountain, and do the next part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katy-kauffman/the-sum-of-our-relationship-with-god-enables-us-to-take-the-next-step/) [Katy Kauffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katy-kauffman/) > [Even with an assignment, I take over, I find a freedom and make the idea my own, and that's where you get the sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-d-ambrosio/even-with-an-assignment-i-take-over-i-find-a-freedom-and-make-the/) [Charles D'Ambrosio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-d-ambrosio/) > [“Your assignment is to love everyone, accepting all that happens to you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-kempis/your-assignment-is-to-love-everyone-accepting-all-that-happens-to-you/) [Thomas à Kempis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-kempis/) > [They told me I didn't understand the assignment, I told them they didn't understand life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/they-told-me-i-didn-t-understand-the-assignment-i-told-them-they-didn/) [John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/) > [“This is probably just his new assignment, getting close to you so he can use you for information about the Council." "Actually, I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-hawkins/this-is-probably-just-his-new-assignment-getting-close-to-you-so-he/) [Rachel Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-hawkins/) > [One effectively submitted assignment doesn't required the imaginative reference, does it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tivea/one-effectively-submitted-assignment-doesn-t-required-the-imaginative/) [Tivea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tivea/) > [“How good is it to remember one's insignificance: that of a man among billions of men, of an animal amid billions of animals; and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/how-good-is-it-to-remember-one-s-insignificance-that-of-a-man-among/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“Your assignment is a pre-cursor to someone else’s assignment. In the same breath, someone else’s assignment is a pre-cursor to yours.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-s-mashego/your-assignment-is-a-pre-cursor-to-someone-else-s-assignment-in-the/) [D.S. Mashego](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-s-mashego/) > [“Your calling is your life assignment”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/your-calling-is-your-life-assignment/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [“Your assignment from God is not to change your spouse, but to love, follow, assist, and minister to them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-george/your-assignment-from-god-is-not-to-change-your-spouse-but-to-love/) [Elizabeth George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-george/) > [I work on words, mostly, toward them being poetry or short stories, and then some of those become songs. They all find their place…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-harvey/i-work-on-words-mostly-toward-them-being-poetry-or-short-stories-and/) [P. J. Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-harvey/) [Browse all 155 Assignment quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assignment/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Never refuse an assignment except when there is a conflict of interest, a potential of danger to you or your family, or you hold a strongly biased attitude about the subject under focus.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jessica Savitch" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-savitch/never-refuse-an-assignment-except-when-there-is-a-conflict-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Assignment" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-savitch/never-refuse-an-assignment-except-when-there-is-a-conflict-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed6/jessica-savitch-11340_assignment_never-refuse-an-assignment-except-when-t_3074757.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed6/jessica-savitch-11340_assignment_never-refuse-an-assignment-except-when-t_3074757.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed6/jessica-savitch-11340_assignment_never-refuse-an-assignment-except-when-t_3074757.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Never refuse an assignment except when there is a conflict of interest, a potential of danger to you or your…” — Jessica Savitch", "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": "Jessica Savitch", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-savitch/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Never refuse an assignment except when...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-savitch/never-refuse-an-assignment-except-when-there-is-a-conflict-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-savitch/never-refuse-an-assignment-except-when-there-is-a-conflict-of/#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 } } ] } ```