--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My job is to ask tough questions." description: "\"My job is to ask tough questions.\" — Jim Acosta" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97b/jim-acosta-19306_ask_my-job-is-to-ask-tough-questions-3057319_3057319.jpg" --- # My job is to ask tough questions. ![“My job is to ask tough questions.” quote by Jim Acosta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97b/jim-acosta-19306_ask_my-job-is-to-ask-tough-questions-3057319_3057319.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97b/jim-acosta-19306_ask_my-job-is-to-ask-tough-questions-3057319_3057319.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97b/jim-acosta-19306_ask_my-job-is-to-ask-tough-questions-3057319_3057319.jpg) > “My job is to ask tough questions.” [Jim Acosta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-acosta/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He defines his role as asking challenging questions. **In simple terms:** His job is to ask tough questions. Key Takeaway Embrace critical inquiry. Themes journalism accountability truth Mood thoughtful determined Type interview journalistic When to use this quote - press conferences - town halls - debates Key Concepts interview media politics Questions to Reflect On - How can journalists ask tough questions respectfully? - What balance between probing and politeness? A Different Perspective Tough questions can alienate sources. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Job](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/job/) [Questions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/questions/) [Tough questions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tough-questions/) [Truth Seeking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth-seeking/) ## Related quotes > [“A writer must ask the tough questions. It’s the only way to get to the heart of the truth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-winton/a-writer-must-ask-the-tough-questions-it-s-the-only-way-to-get-to-the/) Tom Winton > [My ability to not be afraid to ask tough questions or to confront, that matters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamron-hall/my-ability-to-not-be-afraid-to-ask-tough-questions-or-to-confront/) [Tamron Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamron-hall/) > [I want to be a journalist; I want to ask tough questions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ainsley-earhardt/i-want-to-be-a-journalist-i-want-to-ask-tough-questions/) [Ainsley Earhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ainsley-earhardt/) > [When you walk into a doctor's office, you've got to have the same attitude you would about anything else. You've got to ask tough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-brokaw/when-you-walk-into-a-doctor-s-office-you-ve-got-to-have-the-same/) [Tom Brokaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-brokaw/) > [I am the nice adversary, the guy that's going to ask the tough questions and is not going to be happy with the quick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillermo-del-toro/i-am-the-nice-adversary-the-guy-that-s-going-to-ask-the-tough/) [Guillermo del Toro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillermo-del-toro/) > [We have to ask the tough questions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megyn-kelly/we-have-to-ask-the-tough-questions/) [Megyn Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megyn-kelly/) > [I like being able to ask tough questions, to learn from someone who knows more than me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-cantlay/i-like-being-able-to-ask-tough-questions-to-learn-from-someone-who/) [Patrick Cantlay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-cantlay/) > [I try to be open and try to ask tough questions of everyone. We all do come to the table with our own life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alisyn-camerota/i-try-to-be-open-and-try-to-ask-tough-questions-of-everyone-we-all-do/) [Alisyn Camerota](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alisyn-camerota/) > [Whenever you're reporting, there's always something you can't say or write, but the questions, you always want to get as close to that line…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hastings/whenever-you-re-reporting-there-s-always-something-you-can-t-say-or/) [Michael Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hastings/) > [Political journalists love graduate student intelligence, the ability to make clever allusions in seminars, and in 1999-2000 they hassled George W. Bush for not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-olasky/political-journalists-love-graduate-student-intelligence-the-ability/) [Marvin Olasky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-olasky/) > [ Matt Lauer asked her \[Hillary Clinton\] tough questions, in fact, questions that should have been asked and followed up on by the FBI in… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberly-guilfoyle/matt-lauer-asked-her-hillary-clinton-tough-questions-in-fact/) [Kimberly Guilfoyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberly-guilfoyle/) > [ The press really is not doing its job of holding their \[the candidates'\] feet to the fire. ... The tough questions are not what… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bloomberg/the-press-really-is-not-doing-its-job-of-holding-their-the-candidates/) [Michael Bloomberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bloomberg/) > [have a lot of respect for the responsibility that journalists have to ask tough questions, to hold the administration accountable and to be advocates…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-earnest/have-a-lot-of-respect-for-the-responsibility-that-journalists-have-to/) [Josh Earnest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-earnest/) > [I consider it my patriotic duty as an ordinary citizen - not as Secretary of State - to ask questions. I think we have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-albright/i-consider-it-my-patriotic-duty-as-an-ordinary-citizen-not-as/) [Madeleine Albright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-albright/) > [I think for a chef, to have a signature dish is a tough question to answer. On one, you don't want to be associated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-hughes/i-think-for-a-chef-to-have-a-signature-dish-is-a-tough-question-to/) [Chuck Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-hughes/) ## More by Jim Acosta > [I receive more threats than I could count; it's almost every week.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-acosta/i-receive-more-threats-than-i-could-count-it-s-almost-every-week/) [Jim Acosta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-acosta/) > [I don't believe reporters are supposed to be the story. That's how I was trained.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-acosta/i-don-t-believe-reporters-are-supposed-to-be-the-story-that-s-how-i/) [Jim Acosta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-acosta/) > [My job as a reporter, my job as a senior White House correspondent for CNN, is to report the news, but also to highlight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-acosta/my-job-as-a-reporter-my-job-as-a-senior-white-house-correspondent-for/) [Jim Acosta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-acosta/) > [As reporters, we not only deliver the news of the day. We must also defend the truth. And just because we are pro-truth doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-acosta/as-reporters-we-not-only-deliver-the-news-of-the-day-we-must-also/) [Jim Acosta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-acosta/) > [My parents were blue-collar.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-acosta/my-parents-were-blue-collar/) [Jim Acosta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-acosta/) > [I was raised in this business not to make myself part of the story. I have never wanted to be part of the story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-acosta/i-was-raised-in-this-business-not-to-make-myself-part-of-the-story-i/) [Jim Acosta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-acosta/) > [We have to stand for the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-acosta/we-have-to-stand-for-the-truth/) [Jim Acosta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-acosta/) > [I think America is changing. I think we are becoming a country that is not as welcoming to immigrants anymore. You have a president…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-acosta/i-think-america-is-changing-i-think-we-are-becoming-a-country-that-is/) [Jim Acosta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-acosta/) > [I don't believe that there are two sides to a story when it's a matter of right versus wrong. It just doesn't work that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-acosta/i-don-t-believe-that-there-are-two-sides-to-a-story-when-it-s-a/) [Jim Acosta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-acosta/) > [I have never witnessed a concerted effort by any news organization to take a stand one way or the other on a political issue,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-acosta/i-have-never-witnessed-a-concerted-effort-by-any-news-organization-to/) [Jim Acosta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-acosta/) > [Neutrality for the sake of neutrality doesn't really serve us in the age of Trump.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-acosta/neutrality-for-the-sake-of-neutrality-doesn-t-really-serve-us-in-the/) [Jim Acosta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-acosta/) > [I wish at times that the press had been a bit more in solidarity with one another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-acosta/i-wish-at-times-that-the-press-had-been-a-bit-more-in-solidarity-with/) [Jim Acosta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-acosta/) > [Well I think we can't avoid covering the news and when the president says something like that you're the enemy of the people, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-acosta/well-i-think-we-can-t-avoid-covering-the-news-and-when-the-president/) [Jim Acosta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-acosta/) > [We can't have Trump supporters only trust what comes out of conservative news media and vice versa.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-acosta/we-can-t-have-trump-supporters-only-trust-what-comes-out-of/) [Jim Acosta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-acosta/) > [I think aggressive, sometimes outspoken reporting from the White House briefing room is expected by the American people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-acosta/i-think-aggressive-sometimes-outspoken-reporting-from-the-white-house/) [Jim Acosta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-acosta/) [Explore all 33 Jim Acosta quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-acosta/) ## More Ask quotes > [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/) > [I ask to be judged on the issue of unemployment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-hollande/i-ask-to-be-judged-on-the-issue-of-unemployment/) [Francois Hollande](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-hollande/) > [When the only people in mainstream discourse who care about the working class are Wall Street investors, it really is time to ask where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-noah/when-the-only-people-in-mainstream-discourse-who-care-about-the/) [Timothy Noah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-noah/) > [I used to sit in front of McDonald's and ask people for dollars to get me a cheeseburger. It was bad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-pain/i-used-to-sit-in-front-of-mcdonald-s-and-ask-people-for-dollars-to/) [T-Pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-pain/) > [If you ask why I do what I do - I want to make a difference. I don't just want to maintain the status…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eli-broad/if-you-ask-why-i-do-what-i-do-i-want-to-make-a-difference-i-don-t/) [Eli Broad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-broad/) > [Every morning when I pick up the newspaper and read about an earthquake in Japan or problems in European financial institutions, the first question…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-schapiro/every-morning-when-i-pick-up-the-newspaper-and-read-about-an/) [Mary Schapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-schapiro/) > [I follow a simple formula when I compose. I ask myself, 'What would the audience want to hear?' and 'Why would they buy my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-r-rahman/i-follow-a-simple-formula-when-i-compose-i-ask-myself-what-would-the/) [A. R. Rahman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-r-rahman/) > [If you ask an actor what he'd prefer to act on, he'd probably say a tangible, real set, or even better, a real location…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-evans/if-you-ask-an-actor-what-he-d-prefer-to-act-on-he-d-probably-say-a/) [Luke Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-evans/) > [It turns out that this part of the brain is one of the first areas that's attacked by Alzheimer's disease. So we can now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-keefe/it-turns-out-that-this-part-of-the-brain-is-one-of-the-first-areas/) [John O'Keefe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-keefe/) > [I prefer department stores. In boutiques, they come up and ask you if you need help. I can't get lost in the experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-netrebko/i-prefer-department-stores-in-boutiques-they-come-up-and-ask-you-if/) [Anna Netrebko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-netrebko/) > [A lot of people ask: 'Will you play a psycho to really change your image and prove you can act?' But that's not what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zac-efron/a-lot-of-people-ask-will-you-play-a-psycho-to-really-change-your/) [Zac Efron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zac-efron/) > [I'm not in the movie business anymore, and hardly any 70 year olds are. I always ask the producers: 'Are there no 70-year old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-dennehy/i-m-not-in-the-movie-business-anymore-and-hardly-any-70-year-olds-are/) [Brian Dennehy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-dennehy/) > [I would ask my mum to feed my dolls and make sure they were tucked in when I went to school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gayle-rankin/i-would-ask-my-mum-to-feed-my-dolls-and-make-sure-they-were-tucked-in/) [Gayle Rankin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gayle-rankin/) > [I certainly know that on our first tour of America in 1968, David Crosby came to see us backstage at the Fillmore East in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-hayward/i-certainly-know-that-on-our-first-tour-of-america-in-1968-david/) [Justin Hayward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-hayward/) > [For the most part, if somebody approaches me and says, 'I'd like to interview you,' who am I to say no, when I spend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/for-the-most-part-if-somebody-approaches-me-and-says-i-d-like-to/) [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) Browse all 1,306 Ask quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "My job is to ask tough questions.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jim Acosta" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-acosta/my-job-is-to-ask-tough-questions/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ask" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-acosta/my-job-is-to-ask-tough-questions/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97b/jim-acosta-19306_ask_my-job-is-to-ask-tough-questions-3057319_3057319.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97b/jim-acosta-19306_ask_my-job-is-to-ask-tough-questions-3057319_3057319.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97b/jim-acosta-19306_ask_my-job-is-to-ask-tough-questions-3057319_3057319.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“My job is to ask tough questions.” — Jim Acosta", "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": "Jim Acosta", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-acosta/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "My job is to ask tough...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-acosta/my-job-is-to-ask-tough-questions/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-acosta/my-job-is-to-ask-tough-questions/#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 } } ] } ```