--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: First. I began my career as a copy girl…" description: "\"First. I began my career as a copy girl. and the White House coverage, for example, was in the then-Women's section. So it was social coverage. It wasn..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a28/judith-martin-1927_although_first-i-began-my-career-as-a-copy-girl-a_585715.jpg" --- # First. I began my career as a copy girl. and the White… ![“First. I began my career as a copy girl. and the White House coverage, for example, was in the then-Women's section. So it was social coverage. It wasn't news, although we often got rather startling news out of it.” quote by Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a28/judith-martin-1927_although_first-i-began-my-career-as-a-copy-girl-a_585715.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a28/judith-martin-1927_although_first-i-began-my-career-as-a-copy-girl-a_585715.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a28/judith-martin-1927_although_first-i-began-my-career-as-a-copy-girl-a_585715.jpg) > “First. I began my career as a copy girl. and the White House coverage, for example, was in the then-Women's section. So it was social coverage. It wasn't news, although we often got rather startling news out of it.” [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She began in women’s social pages, which were considered less serious than hard news. **In simple terms:** Started in a gendered, less‑prestigious role. Key Takeaway Recognize early career constraints. Themes gender bias career progression media Mood reflective critical Type historical analytical When to use this quote - career start - gender equity - newsroom dynamics Key Concepts feminist theory media studies Questions to Reflect On - How have women’s roles in journalism evolved? - What barriers remain? A Different Perspective Still faces gendered expectations today. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Career](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/career/) [Girl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/girl/) [Journalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journalism/) [News](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/news/) [Social](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social/) [White house](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/white-house/) ## Related quotes > [Murrow covered something because it needed coverage. He wasn't trying to get an audience just for the sake of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-schorr/murrow-covered-something-because-it-needed-coverage-he-wasn-t-trying/) [Daniel Schorr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-schorr/) > [Truth is more peculiar than fiction. Life is really a startling place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mira-nair/truth-is-more-peculiar-than-fiction-life-is-really-a-startling-place/) [Mira Nair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mira-nair/) > [Taken as a whole, consumer technologies have made startling advances, but they still are not as easy to use as they should be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-mossberg/taken-as-a-whole-consumer-technologies-have-made-startling-advances/) [Walt Mossberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-mossberg/) > [Startling as the Gospel of Judas sounds, it amplifies hints we have long read in the Gospels of Mark and John that Jesus knew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-pagels/startling-as-the-gospel-of-judas-sounds-it-amplifies-hints-we-have/) [Elaine Pagels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-pagels/) > [“And this is the only really startling thing about the evil of the world: not that so much of it exists, but that nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-pyper/and-this-is-the-only-really-startling-thing-about-the-evil-of-the/) [Andrew Pyper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-pyper/) > [Being born in Cuba, a country where freedom of speech is non-existent, it's startling to observe how Venezuela, where I was happily raised, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-conchita-alonso/being-born-in-cuba-a-country-where-freedom-of-speech-is-non-existent/) [Maria Conchita Alonso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-conchita-alonso/) > [It has become apparent that art can have a startling impact without really being or saying anything startling — or new. The character itself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clement-greenberg/it-has-become-apparent-that-art-can-have-a-startling-impact-without/) [Clement Greenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clement-greenberg/) > [“What was it then? What did it mean? Could things thrust their hands up and grip one; could the blade cut; the fist grasp?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/what-was-it-then-what-did-it-mean-could-things-thrust-their-hands-up/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [The world may hold startling developments and shocking unknowns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-spaihts/the-world-may-hold-startling-developments-and-shocking-unknowns/) [Jon Spaihts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-spaihts/) > [I don't think I've ever made a claim to startling originality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-murphy/i-don-t-think-i-ve-ever-made-a-claim-to-startling-originality/) [James Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-murphy/) > [It had been startling and disappointing to me to find out that story books had been written by people, that books were not natural…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eudora-welty/it-had-been-startling-and-disappointing-to-me-to-find-out-that-story/) [Eudora Welty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eudora-welty/) > [A significant inventionmust be startling, unexpected. It must come to a world that is not prepared for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-land/a-significant-inventionmust-be-startling-unexpected-it-must-come-to-a/) [Edwin Land](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-land/) > [The love of their country is with them only a mode of flattering its master; as soon as they think that master can no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marquis-de-custine/the-love-of-their-country-is-with-them-only-a-mode-of-flattering-its/) [Marquis De Custine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marquis-de-custine/) > [A significant invention must be startling, unexpected. It must come to a world that is not prepared for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-land/a-significant-invention-must-be-startling-unexpected-it-must-come-to/) [Edwin Land](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-land/) > [I remember being shocked when I came out from under the focusing cloth after a minute or two being submerged within that, at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sexton/i-remember-being-shocked-when-i-came-out-from-under-the-focusing/) [John Sexton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sexton/) ## More by Judith Martin > [Smart people duck when they hear the dread announcement 'I'm going to be perfectly honest with you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/smart-people-duck-when-they-hear-the-dread-announcement-i-m-going-to/) [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) > [If you put together all the ingredients that naturally attract children - sex, violence, revenge, spectacle and vigorous noise - what you have is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/if-you-put-together-all-the-ingredients-that-naturally-attract/) [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) > [The one prediction that never comes true is, 'You'll thank me for telling you this.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/the-one-prediction-that-never-comes-true-is-you-ll-thank-me-for/) [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) > [Chaperons, even in their days of glory, were almost never able to enforce morality; what they did was to force immorality to be discreet.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/chaperons-even-in-their-days-of-glory-were-almost-never-able-to/) [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) > [There are always proper responses, even to rude questions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/there-are-always-proper-responses-even-to-rude-questions/) [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) > [Perhaps the greatest rudenesses of our time come not from the callousness of strangers, but from the solicitousness of intimates who believe that their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/perhaps-the-greatest-rudenesses-of-our-time-come-not-from-the/) [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) > [We are all entitled to our little harmless habits, but we are not entitled to demand approval for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/we-are-all-entitled-to-our-little-harmless-habits-but-we-are-not/) [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) > [“Lady” is not used before the lady’s first name unless she is the daughter of a duke, marquess or earl; those who come by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/lady-is-not-used-before-the-lady-s-first-name-unless-she-is-the/) [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) > [Greece is a good place for rebirths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/greece-is-a-good-place-for-rebirths/) [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) > [Adorable children are considered to be the general property of the human race. Rude children belong to their mothers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/adorable-children-are-considered-to-be-the-general-property-of-the/) [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) > [I have always believed that the key to a happy marriage was the ability to say with a straight face, 'Why, I don't know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/i-have-always-believed-that-the-key-to-a-happy-marriage-was-the/) [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) > [It is, indeed, a trial to maintain the virtue of humility when one can't help being right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/it-is-indeed-a-trial-to-maintain-the-virtue-of-humility-when-one-can/) [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) > [Honesty is a virtue, but not the only one. 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It never has, and until our own century, everybody knew that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/society-cannot-exist-without-etiquette-it-never-has-and-until-our-own/) [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) [Explore all 197 Judith Martin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) ## More Although quotes > [Everything I write is highly personal, but put in such a way that it's not dropping everything in someone's lap. 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Although that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-hawkins/i-m-not-very-well-known-however-the-more-well-known-you-get-the-more/) [Sally Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-hawkins/) > [I would spend hours absorbing every intonation, every inflection - how the singer would convey a sentiment and how it would sound coming out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kat-edmonson/i-would-spend-hours-absorbing-every-intonation-every-inflection-how/) [Kat Edmonson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kat-edmonson/) Browse all 578 Although quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "First. I began my career as a copy girl. and the White House coverage, for example, was in the then-Women's section. So it was social coverage. 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