--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think every journalist understands when…" description: "\"I think every journalist understands when they are the beneficiary of hot information that, yes, they have a scoop, but they're also being used. Part o..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd8/john-hockenberry-38019_also_i-think-every-journalist-understands-whe_2410972.png" --- # I think every journalist understands when they are the… ![“I think every journalist understands when they are the beneficiary of hot information that, yes, they have a scoop, but they're also being used. Part of your responsibility as a journalist is to tell the story of why that information is coming to you, consistent with the ground rules of your…” quote by John Hockenberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd8/john-hockenberry-38019_also_i-think-every-journalist-understands-whe_2410972.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd8/john-hockenberry-38019_also_i-think-every-journalist-understands-whe_2410972.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd8/john-hockenberry-38019_also_i-think-every-journalist-understands-whe_2410972.png) > “I think every journalist understands when they are the beneficiary of hot information that, yes, they have a scoop, but they're also being used. Part of your responsibility as a journalist is to tell the story of why that information is coming to you, consistent with the ground rules of your sourcing.” [John Hockenberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hockenberry/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Journalists must disclose the origins of their information, acknowledging they are both beneficiaries and tools of the source. **In simple terms:** Journalists must reveal where their info comes from. Key Takeaway Be transparent about sources. Themes ethics journalism responsibility Mood critical serious Type ethical professional When to use this quote - breaking news reporting - investigative journalism Key Concepts source transparency media integrity Questions to Reflect On - What responsibilities do journalists have to their audience? - How can bias be mitigated in reporting? A Different Perspective The source may with motives that bias the story. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Being](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being/) [Journalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journalism/) [Journalist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journalist/) [Responsibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/responsibility/) [Rules](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rules/) [Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story/) ## Related quotes > [I was once a journalist. And I think of myself as a journalist, and that's it. You tell the truth. I even wrote a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/i-was-once-a-journalist-and-i-think-of-myself-as-a-journalist-and/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [Well, I don't know about objectivity, but I know for certain that it's always possible for a professional journalist who understands what he or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-lehrer/well-i-don-t-know-about-objectivity-but-i-know-for-certain-that-it-s/) [Jim Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-lehrer/) > [As any journalist will tell you, there are few professional situations as vexing as when a friend becomes involved in a major story that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graydon-carter/as-any-journalist-will-tell-you-there-are-few-professional-situations/) [Graydon Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graydon-carter/) > [When it comes to racism, discrimination, corruption, public lies, dictatorships, and human rights, you have to take a stand as a reporter because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-ramos/when-it-comes-to-racism-discrimination-corruption-public-lies/) [Jorge Ramos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-ramos/) > [Going to where the silence is. That is the responsibility of a journalist: giving a voice to those who have been forgotten, forsaken, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-goodman/going-to-where-the-silence-is-that-is-the-responsibility-of-a/) [Amy Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-goodman/) > [My emotional and intellectual response to Hiroshima was that the question of the social responsibility of a journalist was posed with greater urgency than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilfred-burchett/my-emotional-and-intellectual-response-to-hiroshima-was-that-the/) [Wilfred Burchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilfred-burchett/) > [I'd go for "really great writer." Although I don't think I am. I know I have a style which is recognizable. I think you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/i-d-go-for-really-great-writer-although-i-don-t-think-i-am-i-know-i/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [That's what I think a journalist from the '70s and '80s should look like - as though he has led a full journalistic life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-walsh/that-s-what-i-think-a-journalist-from-the-70s-and-80s-should-look/) [Bradley Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-walsh/) > [I think of myself as a journalist and a storyteller.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soledad-o-brien/i-think-of-myself-as-a-journalist-and-a-storyteller/) [Soledad O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soledad-o-brien/) > [I think journalist is a great profession. It's complicated now. People talk about the demise of investigative reporting.Newspapers play an amazing role in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seymour-hersh/i-think-journalist-is-a-great-profession-it-s-complicated-now-people/) [Seymour Hersh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seymour-hersh/) > [ In this film \[The Last King of Scotland\] I am the rooky in the cast. Everyone has miles of experience than me and Della… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-mcadams/in-this-film-the-last-king-of-scotland-i-am-the-rooky-in-the-cast/) [Rachel McAdams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-mcadams/) > [When I went in, my editor said, ‘I hope you don’t think you’re a writer.’ And I said, ‘I hope you don’t think I’m…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-cameron/when-i-went-in-my-editor-said-i-hope-you-don-t-think-you-re-a-writer/) [Julia Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-cameron/) > [A Writer says: read what I have written An historian says: listen to my lecture A critic says: listen to what I think A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gideon-haigh/a-writer-says-read-what-i-have-written-an-historian-says-listen-to-my/) [Gideon Haigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gideon-haigh/) > [I think of myself as a journalist first and foremost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-bruce/i-think-of-myself-as-a-journalist-first-and-foremost/) [Fiona Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-bruce/) > [I never intended to be a journalist. Frankly, I don't think I ever was a journalist. I backed into it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-shames/i-never-intended-to-be-a-journalist-frankly-i-don-t-think-i-ever-was/) [Laurence Shames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-shames/) ## More by John Hockenberry > [“One of the great myths about war is that there is a ground zero, a center stage, where the terrible forces unleashed by it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hockenberry/one-of-the-great-myths-about-war-is-that-there-is-a-ground-zero-a/) [John Hockenberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hockenberry/) > [At a moment when distortions of Islam are what feed most Americans, Ibrahim Abdul-Matin has done something both practical and inspiring. He persuades us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hockenberry/at-a-moment-when-distortions-of-islam-are-what-feed-most-americans/) [John Hockenberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hockenberry/) > [An object imbued with intent — it has power, it's treasure, we're drawn to it. An object devoid of intent — it's random, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hockenberry/an-object-imbued-with-intent-it-has-power-it-s-treasure-we-re-drawn/) [John Hockenberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hockenberry/) > [The media doesn't need a conscience; people need consciences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hockenberry/the-media-doesn-t-need-a-conscience-people-need-consciences/) [John Hockenberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hockenberry/) > [The song is just the given. It's how you cover it that matters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hockenberry/the-song-is-just-the-given-it-s-how-you-cover-it-that-matters/) [John Hockenberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hockenberry/) > [In general, I think very few people have a sustained interest in news.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hockenberry/in-general-i-think-very-few-people-have-a-sustained-interest-in-news/) [John Hockenberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hockenberry/) > [“The idea that humiliation is some capital crime of the spirit is a fiction. The sentences we hand down for losing control and succumbing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hockenberry/the-idea-that-humiliation-is-some-capital-crime-of-the-spirit-is-a/) [John Hockenberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hockenberry/) > [I think everybody in news understands that the audience that watches for more than an hour is not your target audience - because those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hockenberry/i-think-everybody-in-news-understands-that-the-audience-that-watches/) [John Hockenberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hockenberry/) > [ Design \[is\] the emerging ethos formulating and then answering a very new question: What shall we do now, in the face of the chaos… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hockenberry/design-is-the-emerging-ethos-formulating-and-then-answering-a-very/) [John Hockenberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hockenberry/) > [Design is the courage and brilliance to cover an original and make it different.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hockenberry/design-is-the-courage-and-brilliance-to-cover-an-original-and-make-it/) [John Hockenberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hockenberry/) > [In America access is always about architecture and never about human beings. Among Israelis and Palestinians, access was rarely about anything but people. While…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hockenberry/in-america-access-is-always-about-architecture-and-never-about-human/) [John Hockenberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hockenberry/) [Explore all 12 John Hockenberry quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hockenberry/) ## More Also quotes > [I'm a workaholic, but I also like to vacation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karrueche-tran/i-m-a-workaholic-but-i-also-like-to-vacation/) [Karrueche Tran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karrueche-tran/) > [I've also directed, shot, and edited several music videos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-king/i-ve-also-directed-shot-and-edited-several-music-videos/) [Richard King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-king/) > [Movies have power. Power to impact society and the choices we make. I want to entertain, but I also want to say something to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-prince-bythewood/movies-have-power-power-to-impact-society-and-the-choices-we-make-i/) [Gina Prince-Bythewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-prince-bythewood/) > [I'm not against gay people. I have a relative who is also gay. We can't help it if they were born that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manny-pacquiao/i-m-not-against-gay-people-i-have-a-relative-who-is-also-gay-we-can-t/) [Manny Pacquiao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manny-pacquiao/) > [I want to make myself and the crowd happy by way of something different, and that makes things difficult. I'm never playing something that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiesto/i-want-to-make-myself-and-the-crowd-happy-by-way-of-something/) [Tiesto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiesto/) > [My parents are divorced, and seeing that was really painful for me. Really painful for me. But that's also a big part of why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banks/my-parents-are-divorced-and-seeing-that-was-really-painful-for-me/) [Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banks/) > [With all the technology we're inventing and what they're coming up with scientifically, people are having longer lifetimes. It's scary, but in the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brittany-murphy/with-all-the-technology-we-re-inventing-and-what-they-re-coming-up/) [Brittany Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brittany-murphy/) > [I like 'The Usual Suspects'. Great film. I also like 'Scarface', films like that. Lots of gangster films. I really like watching all kinds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barkhad-abdi/i-like-the-usual-suspects-great-film-i-also-like-scarface-films-like/) [Barkhad Abdi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barkhad-abdi/) > [I'm in 'Madagascar 2.' I'm Testy the Lion. The franchise moves to Africa, and Bernie Mac is also in the film. I loved working…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lister-jr/i-m-in-madagascar-2-i-m-testy-the-lion-the-franchise-moves-to-africa/) [Tom Lister, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lister-jr/) > [I was born with a silver microphone in my mouth, and that was an advantage. My father wrote books and was also a great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-dimbleby/i-was-born-with-a-silver-microphone-in-my-mouth-and-that-was-an/) [Jonathan Dimbleby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-dimbleby/) > [I always like to look for adventure when I go away. I have gone on several horse adventures with my wife - from Guangxi…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antony-gormley/i-always-like-to-look-for-adventure-when-i-go-away-i-have-gone-on/) [Antony Gormley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antony-gormley/) > [It's important for American soldiers to be culturally sensitive when deployed in foreign countries. But it's just as important for the U.S. never to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-bauer/it-s-important-for-american-soldiers-to-be-culturally-sensitive-when/) [Gary Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-bauer/) > [It is true that from a behavioral economics perspective we are fallible, easily confused, not that smart, and often irrational. We are more like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/it-is-true-that-from-a-behavioral-economics-perspective-we-are/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [Especially for those of us who lived in single cells, you had the time to sit down and think, and we discovered that sitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/especially-for-those-of-us-who-lived-in-single-cells-you-had-the-time/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [I like men who are very cool but who are also so brilliant that they are almost insane. Sean Penn, Gary Oldman, Bob Dylan,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jolene-blalock/i-like-men-who-are-very-cool-but-who-are-also-so-brilliant-that-they/) [Jolene Blalock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jolene-blalock/) Browse all 3,822 Also quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think every journalist understands when they are the beneficiary of hot information that, yes, they have a scoop, but they're also being used. Part of your responsibility as a journalist is to tell the story of why that information is coming to you, consistent with the ground rules of your sourcing.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Hockenberry" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hockenberry/i-think-every-journalist-understands-when-they-are-the-beneficiary-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Also" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hockenberry/i-think-every-journalist-understands-when-they-are-the-beneficiary-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd8/john-hockenberry-38019_also_i-think-every-journalist-understands-whe_2410972.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd8/john-hockenberry-38019_also_i-think-every-journalist-understands-whe_2410972.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd8/john-hockenberry-38019_also_i-think-every-journalist-understands-whe_2410972.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I think every journalist understands when they are the beneficiary of hot information that, yes, they have a…” — John Hockenberry", "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": "John Hockenberry", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hockenberry/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I think every journalist understands when...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hockenberry/i-think-every-journalist-understands-when-they-are-the-beneficiary-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hockenberry/i-think-every-journalist-understands-when-they-are-the-beneficiary-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 } } ] } ```