--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Secretive power loathes journalists who…" description: "\"Secretive power loathes journalists who do their job: who push back screens, peer behind façades, lift rocks. Opprobrium from on high is their badge of..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02c/john-pilger-10261_badges_secretive-power-loathes-journalists-who_2630433.jpg" --- # Secretive power loathes journalists who do their job: who… ![“Secretive power loathes journalists who do their job: who push back screens, peer behind façades, lift rocks. Opprobrium from on high is their badge of honour.” quote by John Pilger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02c/john-pilger-10261_badges_secretive-power-loathes-journalists-who_2630433.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02c/john-pilger-10261_badges_secretive-power-loathes-journalists-who_2630433.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02c/john-pilger-10261_badges_secretive-power-loathes-journalists-who_2630433.jpg) > “Secretive power loathes journalists who do their job: who push back screens, peer behind façades, lift rocks. Opprobrium from on high is their badge of honour.” [John Pilger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-pilger/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Powerful entities resent journalists exposing hidden truths and challenging authority. **In simple terms:** Journalists face backlash for revealing secrets. Key Takeaway Persist in truth‑seeking despite opposition. Themes media power transparency Mood cautious defiant Type activist analytical When to use this quote - investigative reporting - whistleblowing - public accountability Key Concepts institutional resistance ethical journalism Questions to Reflect On - What motivates you to expose hidden truths? - How can society protect investigative reporters? A Different Perspective Risk of personal safety and legal retaliation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Badges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/badges/) [Behinds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behinds/) [Honour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honour/) [Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jobs/) [Journalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journalism/) [Journalist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journalist/) [Journalists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journalists/) [Journalists Job](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journalists-job-2184922/) [Lifts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lifts/) [Loathe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loathe/) [Loathes Journalists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loathes-journalists-2184920/) [Peers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peers/) [Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power/) [Power Loathes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power-loathes-2184921/) [Rocks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rocks/) [Screens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/screens/) [Secretive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secretive/) [Secretive Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secretive-power-2184923/) ## Related quotes > [People say, 'Oh, you're doing the job of journalists.' I think it's very important to note that we can't do our job without journalists.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-meyers/people-say-oh-you-re-doing-the-job-of-journalists-i-think-it-s-very/) [Seth Meyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-meyers/) > [Journalists have to do their job. And journalists have to resist emotionalism. You have to keep your cool and to continue to do your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-frum/journalists-have-to-do-their-job-and-journalists-have-to-resist/) [David Frum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-frum/) > [Journalists, whose job is to pull back and tell dramatic stories that bring power into focus, find it impossible because things like economic theory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-curtis/journalists-whose-job-is-to-pull-back-and-tell-dramatic-stories-that/) [Adam Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-curtis/) > [We're journalists, and so it's our job to be impartial and provide a fair and thorough assessment of what's happening on the ground from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarissa-ward/we-re-journalists-and-so-it-s-our-job-to-be-impartial-and-provide-a/) [Clarissa Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarissa-ward/) > [One bad review doesn't ruin my day because I realize what a badge of honor it is to get a bit of criticism at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/one-bad-review-doesn-t-ruin-my-day-because-i-realize-what-a-badge-of/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [Yeah, I love living in New York, man, and people who live in New York, we wear that fact like a badge right on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-leary/yeah-i-love-living-in-new-york-man-and-people-who-live-in-new-york-we/) [Denis Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-leary/) > [I'm not going to allow anybody to hold a badge up over me or a cross or any other power symbol and say I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ice-t/i-m-not-going-to-allow-anybody-to-hold-a-badge-up-over-me-or-a-cross/) [Ice T](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ice-t/) > [There still remains one effort of magnanimity, one sacrifice of prejudice and passion, to be made by the individuals throughout the nation who have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-quincy-adams/there-still-remains-one-effort-of-magnanimity-one-sacrifice-of/) [John Quincy Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-quincy-adams/) > [It's an honour to wear the shirt and the badge, and to be part of such an illustrious club is gonna be exciting, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asmir-begovic/it-s-an-honour-to-wear-the-shirt-and-the-badge-and-to-be-part-of-such/) [Asmir Begovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asmir-begovic/) > [A woman with cut hair is a filthy spectacle, and much like a monsterit being natural and comely to women to nourish their hair,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-prynne/a-woman-with-cut-hair-is-a-filthy-spectacle-and-much-like-a-monsterit/) [William Prynne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-prynne/) > [“Ideas on Earth were badges of friendship or enmity. Their content did not matter. Friends agreed with friends, in order to express friendliness. Enemies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/ideas-on-earth-were-badges-of-friendship-or-enmity-their-content-did/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [It is utterly exhausting being Black in America - physically, mentally, and emotionally. While many minority groups and women feel similar stress, there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/it-is-utterly-exhausting-being-black-in-america-physically-mentally/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) > [But despite their heroic acts, the Vietnam Veterans of America continued to struggle to establish a combat badge in honor of these brave pilots…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-holden/but-despite-their-heroic-acts-the-vietnam-veterans-of-america/) [Tim Holden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-holden/) > [This is what I say about the scorn of the media elite: I wear their scorn as a badge of honor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-quayle/this-is-what-i-say-about-the-scorn-of-the-media-elite-i-wear-their/) [Dan Quayle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-quayle/) > [Women still, when they have breast cancer, go to work; they still lead their lives. They have to. I just did what I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-potter/women-still-when-they-have-breast-cancer-go-to-work-they-still-lead/) [Monica Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-potter/) ## More by John Pilger > [“Many journalists now are no more than channelers and echoers of what George Orwell called the 'official truth'. They simply cipher and transmit lies.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-pilger/many-journalists-now-are-no-more-than-channelers-and-echoers-of-what/) [John Pilger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-pilger/) > [Israel is the American watchdog in the Middle East, and that's why the Palestinians remain victims of one of the longest military occupations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-pilger/israel-is-the-american-watchdog-in-the-middle-east-and-that-s-why-the/) [John Pilger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-pilger/) > [In the sublime days before 11 September 2001, when the powerful were routinely attacking and terrorising the weak, and those dying were black or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-pilger/in-the-sublime-days-before-11-september-2001-when-the-powerful-were/) [John Pilger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-pilger/) > [Vietnam was as much a laboratory experiment as a war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-pilger/vietnam-was-as-much-a-laboratory-experiment-as-a-war/) [John Pilger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-pilger/) > [Certainly, until there is justice for the Palestinians, there will never be any kind of stability in the Middle East.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-pilger/certainly-until-there-is-justice-for-the-palestinians-there-will/) [John Pilger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-pilger/) > [Bill Clinton persuaded some people that he was really a civilized character and his Administration had the best interests of humanity at heart. These…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-pilger/bill-clinton-persuaded-some-people-that-he-was-really-a-civilized/) [John Pilger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-pilger/) > [Israel is the American watchdog in the Middle East, and that's why the Palestinians remain victims of one of the longest military occupations. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-pilger/israel-is-the-american-watchdog-in-the-middle-east-and-that-s-why-the-2/) [John Pilger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-pilger/) > [The censorship is such on television in the U.S. that films like mine don't stand a chance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-pilger/the-censorship-is-such-on-television-in-the-u-s-that-films-like-mine/) [John Pilger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-pilger/) > [Since September 11, the Mirror has reached back to its roots, and decided, it seems, to be something of its old self again. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-pilger/since-september-11-the-mirror-has-reached-back-to-its-roots-and/) [John Pilger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-pilger/) > [Private Manning is the world's pre-eminent prisoner of conscience, having remained true to the Nuremberg principle that every soldier has the right to 'a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-pilger/private-manning-is-the-world-s-pre-eminent-prisoner-of-conscience/) [John Pilger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-pilger/) > [The Mirror has become an important antidote to a media that is, most of it, supportive of the establishment, some of it quite rabidly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-pilger/the-mirror-has-become-an-important-antidote-to-a-media-that-is-most/) [John Pilger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-pilger/) > [In Western Australia, minerals are being dug up from Aboriginal land and shipped to China for a profit of a billion dollars a week.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-pilger/in-western-australia-minerals-are-being-dug-up-from-aboriginal-land/) [John Pilger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-pilger/) > [Two increasing themes which appear to dominate our listening, reading and watching lives are propaganda and 'national security', or manufactured war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-pilger/two-increasing-themes-which-appear-to-dominate-our-listening-reading/) [John Pilger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-pilger/) > [In these surreal days, there is one truth. Nothing justified the killing of innocent people in America last week and nothing justifies the killing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-pilger/in-these-surreal-days-there-is-one-truth-nothing-justified-the/) [John Pilger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-pilger/) > [Orwell is almost our litmus test. Some of his satirical writing looks like reality these days.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-pilger/orwell-is-almost-our-litmus-test-some-of-his-satirical-writing-looks/) [John Pilger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-pilger/) [Explore all 67 John Pilger quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-pilger/) ## More Badges quotes > [Women still, when they have breast cancer, go to work; they still lead their lives. They have to. I just did what I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-potter/women-still-when-they-have-breast-cancer-go-to-work-they-still-lead/) [Monica Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-potter/) > [This is what I say about the scorn of the media elite: I wear their scorn as a badge of honor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-quayle/this-is-what-i-say-about-the-scorn-of-the-media-elite-i-wear-their/) [Dan Quayle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-quayle/) > [But despite their heroic acts, the Vietnam Veterans of America continued to struggle to establish a combat badge in honor of these brave pilots…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-holden/but-despite-their-heroic-acts-the-vietnam-veterans-of-america/) [Tim Holden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-holden/) > [It is utterly exhausting being Black in America - physically, mentally, and emotionally. While many minority groups and women feel similar stress, there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/it-is-utterly-exhausting-being-black-in-america-physically-mentally/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) > [“Ideas on Earth were badges of friendship or enmity. Their content did not matter. Friends agreed with friends, in order to express friendliness. Enemies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/ideas-on-earth-were-badges-of-friendship-or-enmity-their-content-did/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [A woman with cut hair is a filthy spectacle, and much like a monsterit being natural and comely to women to nourish their hair,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-prynne/a-woman-with-cut-hair-is-a-filthy-spectacle-and-much-like-a-monsterit/) [William Prynne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-prynne/) > [It's an honour to wear the shirt and the badge, and to be part of such an illustrious club is gonna be exciting, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asmir-begovic/it-s-an-honour-to-wear-the-shirt-and-the-badge-and-to-be-part-of-such/) [Asmir Begovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asmir-begovic/) > [There still remains one effort of magnanimity, one sacrifice of prejudice and passion, to be made by the individuals throughout the nation who have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-quincy-adams/there-still-remains-one-effort-of-magnanimity-one-sacrifice-of/) [John Quincy Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-quincy-adams/) > [I'm not going to allow anybody to hold a badge up over me or a cross or any other power symbol and say I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ice-t/i-m-not-going-to-allow-anybody-to-hold-a-badge-up-over-me-or-a-cross/) [Ice T](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ice-t/) > [Yeah, I love living in New York, man, and people who live in New York, we wear that fact like a badge right on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-leary/yeah-i-love-living-in-new-york-man-and-people-who-live-in-new-york-we/) [Denis Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-leary/) > [One bad review doesn't ruin my day because I realize what a badge of honor it is to get a bit of criticism at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/one-bad-review-doesn-t-ruin-my-day-because-i-realize-what-a-badge-of/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [Brotherly love is still the distinguishing badge of every true Christian.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-henry/brotherly-love-is-still-the-distinguishing-badge-of-every-true/) [Matthew Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-henry/) > [Appalling numbers of youth have been led into a cynical ultra-sophisticated attitude which regards drinking as a badge of social aptitude, which makes a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-parker-yockey/appalling-numbers-of-youth-have-been-led-into-a-cynical-ultra/) [Francis Parker Yockey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-parker-yockey/) > [The title of Christian is a reproach to us, if we estrange ourselves from Him after whom we are denominated. The name of Jesus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wilberforce/the-title-of-christian-is-a-reproach-to-us-if-we-estrange-ourselves/) [William Wilberforce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wilberforce/) > [As long as our civilisation keeps trundling along generally forwards, then there is the possibility of a future where ethnicity is merely an interesting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mitchell/as-long-as-our-civilisation-keeps-trundling-along-generally-forwards/) [David Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mitchell/) [Browse all 197 Badges quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/badges/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Secretive power loathes journalists who do their job: who push back screens, peer behind façades, lift rocks. 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