--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If journalism is good, it is…" description: "\"If journalism is good, it is controversial, by its nature.\" — Julian Assange" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de8/julian-assange-1566_controversial_if-journalism-is-good-it-is-controversia_2927147.jpg" --- # If journalism is good, it is controversial, by its nature. ![“If journalism is good, it is controversial, by its nature.” quote by Julian Assange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de8/julian-assange-1566_controversial_if-journalism-is-good-it-is-controversia_2927147.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de8/julian-assange-1566_controversial_if-journalism-is-good-it-is-controversia_2927147.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de8/julian-assange-1566_controversial_if-journalism-is-good-it-is-controversia_2927147.jpg) > “If journalism is good, it is controversial, by its nature.” [Julian Assange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-assange/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Good journalism naturally provokes controversy because it challenges power and norms. **In simple terms:** Controversy is a sign of strong journalism. Key Takeaway Embrace critical reporting despite pushback. Themes journalism controversy truth Mood serious critical Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - investigative reporting - opinion pieces - whistleblowing Key Concepts media ethics public discourse Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance truth with audience sensitivity? - When does controversy become counterproductive? A Different Perspective Controversy can alienate audiences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Controversial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/controversial/) [Controversy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/controversy/) [Journalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journalism/) [Media](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/media/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) ## Related quotes > [I came over here and worked for rock magazines, and I worked for Rolling Stone, which has a very high standard of journalism, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-loder/i-came-over-here-and-worked-for-rock-magazines-and-i-worked-for/) [Kurt Loder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-loder/) > [And I believe that good journalism, good television, can make our world a better place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christiane-amanpour/and-i-believe-that-good-journalism-good-television-can-make-our-world/) [Christiane Amanpour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christiane-amanpour/) > [We have to compete in a universe of 200 networks, so we have to carve out our own niche, and to me, that niche…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/we-have-to-compete-in-a-universe-of-200-networks-so-we-have-to-carve/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [I think there's always satisfaction that comes from digging in and telling a story and being on the front line and writing about it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cameron-crowe/i-think-there-s-always-satisfaction-that-comes-from-digging-in-and/) [Cameron Crowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cameron-crowe/) > [And I really believe good journalism is good business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christiane-amanpour/and-i-really-believe-good-journalism-is-good-business/) [Christiane Amanpour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christiane-amanpour/) > [Good journalism is good business practice; good business supports great journalism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lachlan-murdoch/good-journalism-is-good-business-practice-good-business-supports/) [Lachlan Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lachlan-murdoch/) > [If an investigative reporter finds out that someone has been robbing the store, that may be 'gotcha' journalism, but it's also good journalism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-bradlee/if-an-investigative-reporter-finds-out-that-someone-has-been-robbing/) [Ben Bradlee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-bradlee/) > [I'm not happy that death is approaching because I like being alive but I'm glad I've escaped the two-post-a-day economy of contemporary journalism. Good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-christgau/i-m-not-happy-that-death-is-approaching-because-i-like-being-alive/) [Robert Christgau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-christgau/) > [If you look at the rights situation - what media companies pay - then you see that the rights prices continue to rise for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-sorrell/if-you-look-at-the-rights-situation-what-media-companies-pay-then-you/) [Martin Sorrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-sorrell/) > [I would say the special experience of American wartime policy in the last 40 years, from Vietnam on, is that the war itself became…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/i-would-say-the-special-experience-of-american-wartime-policy-in-the/) [Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/) > [Twitter controversy ain't really controversial to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benny-the-butcher/twitter-controversy-ain-t-really-controversial-to-me/) [Benny the Butcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benny-the-butcher/) > [When I write I'll sometimes say things which are somewhat controversial - not because I'm seeking out controversy for its own sake, but if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bloom/when-i-write-i-ll-sometimes-say-things-which-are-somewhat/) [Paul Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bloom/) > [I'm not really interested in courting controversy, but I am interested in exploring issues that other people would deem to be controversial.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvine-welsh/i-m-not-really-interested-in-courting-controversy-but-i-am-interested/) [Irvine Welsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvine-welsh/) > [“People who always want to be at convenient places won’t make a change at controversial places.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/people-who-always-want-to-be-at-convenient-places-won-t-make-a-change/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [I think controversy is not always a bad thing. Jesus was controversial. It's through controversy that people often wake up and smell the coffee…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirk-cameron/i-think-controversy-is-not-always-a-bad-thing-jesus-was-controversial/) [Kirk Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirk-cameron/) ## More by Julian Assange > [We released 400,000 classified documents, the most extraordinary history of a war to ever have been released in our civilization. Those documents cover 109,000…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-assange/we-released-400-000-classified-documents-the-most-extraordinary/) [Julian Assange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-assange/) > [There's more than 1700 emails out of the thirty three thousand Hillary Clinton emails that we've published, just about Libya. It's not that Libya…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-assange/there-s-more-than-1700-emails-out-of-the-thirty-three-thousand/) [Julian Assange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-assange/) > [We always expect tremendous criticism. It is my role to be the lightning rod ... to attract the attacks against the organization for our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-assange/we-always-expect-tremendous-criticism-it-is-my-role-to-be-the/) [Julian Assange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-assange/) > [“Well it's not possible to win this kind of thing. This is a continuous striving that people have done for a long time. Of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-assange/well-it-s-not-possible-to-win-this-kind-of-thing-this-is-a-continuous/) [Julian Assange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-assange/) > [It is impossible to correct abuses unless we know that theyre going on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-assange/it-is-impossible-to-correct-abuses-unless-we-know-that-theyre-going-on/) [Julian Assange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-assange/) > [WikiLeaks is a source protection organization. We are famous for never having exposed one of our sources over 10 years. That's why sources trust…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-assange/wikileaks-is-a-source-protection-organization-we-are-famous-for-never/) [Julian Assange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-assange/) > [Everyone should understand that when they add their friends to Facebook, they are doing free work for United States intelligence agencies in building this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-assange/everyone-should-understand-that-when-they-add-their-friends-to/) [Julian Assange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-assange/) > [And if Bradley Manning really did as he is accused, he is a hero, an example to us all and one of the world's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-assange/and-if-bradley-manning-really-did-as-he-is-accused-he-is-a-hero-an/) [Julian Assange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-assange/) > [All over the world, the barriers between what is inside an organisation and outside an organisation are being smoothed out. In the military, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-assange/all-over-the-world-the-barriers-between-what-is-inside-an/) [Julian Assange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-assange/) > [Non-conformity is the only real passion worth being ruled by.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-assange/non-conformity-is-the-only-real-passion-worth-being-ruled-by/) [Julian Assange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-assange/) > [Society develops a type of self-censorship, with the knowledge that surveillance exists - a self-censorship that is even expressed when people communicate with each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-assange/society-develops-a-type-of-self-censorship-with-the-knowledge-that/) [Julian Assange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-assange/) > [During the period of house arrest, I had an electronic manacle around my leg for 24 hours a day, and for someone who has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-assange/during-the-period-of-house-arrest-i-had-an-electronic-manacle-around/) [Julian Assange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-assange/) > [There's an early 2014 email from Hillary Clinton, not so long after she left the State Department, to her campaign manager John Podesta that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-assange/there-s-an-early-2014-email-from-hillary-clinton-not-so-long-after/) [Julian Assange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-assange/) > [ The U.N. \[the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention\] has looked into this whole situation. They spent eighteen months in formal, adversarial litigation.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-assange/the-u-n-the-united-nations-working-group-on-arbitrary-detention-has/) [Julian Assange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-assange/) > [I always believed that WikiLeaks as a concept would perform a global role, and to some degree it was clear that it was doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-assange/i-always-believed-that-wikileaks-as-a-concept-would-perform-a-global/) [Julian Assange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-assange/) [Explore all 227 Julian Assange quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-assange/) ## More Controversial quotes > [I'd be very controversial if I said why, and I don't do controversial anymore. That's too passé. So last year. Being controversial is boring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-i-a/i-d-be-very-controversial-if-i-said-why-and-i-don-t-do-controversial/) M.I.A > [Ninety-eight percent of the things that come out of my mouth are intended to be harmless or even charming. They're not ever intended to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-fox/ninety-eight-percent-of-the-things-that-come-out-of-my-mouth-are/) [Megan Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-fox/) > [For a lot of women, one of the hardest things about leadership is the desire to be liked by everyone. That's often inconsistent with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-weddington/for-a-lot-of-women-one-of-the-hardest-things-about-leadership-is-the/) [Sarah Weddington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-weddington/) > [The chief beneficiary of life insurance policies for young, single people is the life insurance agent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-smith/the-chief-beneficiary-of-life-insurance-policies-for-young-single/) [Wes Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-smith/) > [If art is singular expression, then by nature, the best art is controversial. But when art stirs debate for reasons besides its artistic integrity,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ridley/if-art-is-singular-expression-then-by-nature-the-best-art-is/) [John Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ridley/) > [Here - at this final hour, Harlem has come to bid farewell to one of its brightest hopes - extinguished now, and gone from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ossie-davis/here-at-this-final-hour-harlem-has-come-to-bid-farewell-to-one-of-its/) [Ossie Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ossie-davis/) > [Those who misrepresent the normal experiences of life, who decry being controversial, who shun risk, are the enemies of the American way of life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-wriston/those-who-misrepresent-the-normal-experiences-of-life-who-decry-being/) [Henry Wriston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-wriston/) > [“My personal analysis is that the media have made the AI-safety debate seem more controversial than it really is. After all, fear sells, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-tegmark/my-personal-analysis-is-that-the-media-have-made-the-ai-safety-debate/) [Max Tegmark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-tegmark/) > [I think if I'm controversial it's not because I set out to be. It's because I've never felt comfortable being part of someone else's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-judt/i-think-if-i-m-controversial-it-s-not-because-i-set-out-to-be-it-s/) [Tony Judt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-judt/) > [I was very willing to take on controversial roles that people didn't really want to look at.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosie-perez/i-was-very-willing-to-take-on-controversial-roles-that-people-didn-t/) [Rosie Perez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosie-perez/) > [I get called 'controversial' all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moore/i-get-called-controversial-all-the-time/) [Michael Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moore/) > [ I curated this show \[Shanghai Biennale \], I was by no means trying to shock people or be controversial. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/i-curated-this-show-shanghai-biennale-i-was-by-no-means-trying-to/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [“When you fear nothing, you have nothing to fear”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-f-chandler/when-you-fear-nothing-you-have-nothing-to-fear/) S.F. Chandler > [I've been a very effective leader in the gay rights movement, though at times I've been controversial.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-o-leary/i-ve-been-a-very-effective-leader-in-the-gay-rights-movement-though/) [Jean O'Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-o-leary/) > [“At the time, though, vaccination was controversial. Many were opposed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-wright/at-the-time-though-vaccination-was-controversial-many-were-opposed/) [Jennifer Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-wright/) [Browse all 486 Controversial quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/controversial/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If journalism is good, it is controversial, by its nature.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Julian Assange" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-assange/if-journalism-is-good-it-is-controversial-by-its-nature/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Controversial" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-assange/if-journalism-is-good-it-is-controversial-by-its-nature/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de8/julian-assange-1566_controversial_if-journalism-is-good-it-is-controversia_2927147.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de8/julian-assange-1566_controversial_if-journalism-is-good-it-is-controversia_2927147.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de8/julian-assange-1566_controversial_if-journalism-is-good-it-is-controversia_2927147.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If journalism is good, it is controversial, by its nature.” — Julian Assange", "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": "Julian Assange", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-assange/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If journalism is good, it is...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-assange/if-journalism-is-good-it-is-controversial-by-its-nature/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-assange/if-journalism-is-good-it-is-controversial-by-its-nature/#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 } } ] } ```