---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The press keep asking me, 'What was your…"
description: "\"The press keep asking me, 'What was your biggest mistake?' But if I had made a big mistake, they'd all be writing about it, wouldn't they?\" — Ken Livin..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/162/ken-livingstone-3381_about_the-press-keep-asking-me-what-was-your-b_62879.png"
---

#  The press keep asking me, 'What was your biggest mistake?'…

![“The press keep asking me, 'What was your biggest mistake?' But if I had made a big mistake, they'd all be writing about it, wouldn't they?” quote by Ken Livingstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/162/ken-livingstone-3381_about_the-press-keep-asking-me-what-was-your-b_62879.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/162/ken-livingstone-3381_about_the-press-keep-asking-me-what-was-your-b_62879.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/162/ken-livingstone-3381_about_the-press-keep-asking-me-what-was-your-b_62879.png)

> “The press keep asking me, 'What was your biggest mistake?' But if I had made a big mistake, they'd all be writing about it, wouldn't they?”

[Ken Livingstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-livingstone/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The speaker implies that a truly significant error would attract intense media scrutiny, suggesting that the lack of coverage indicates no major mistake was made.

**In simple terms:** No big mistake = no press coverage.

Key Takeaway

Media attention reveals major failures.

Themes

media scrutiny accountability public perception error avoidance reputation management

Mood

wry defensive skeptical

Type

anecdotal political self‑defensive

When to use this quote

- interview with journalists
- public Q&amp;A
- press conference
- media interview

Key Concepts

press dynamics personal reputation error visibility

Practical Applications

- damage control
- public relations strategy

Questions to Reflect On

- What does this say about how we judge success?
- How reliable is media coverage as a measure of error?

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[Biggest mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/biggest-mistake/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Journalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journalism/) [Mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistake/) [Press](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/press/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/)

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