Able Quote by Laura Poitras
“I was in correspondence with an anonymous source for about five months and in the process of developing a dialogue you build ideas, of course, about who that person might be. My idea was that he was in his late forties, early fifties. I figured he must be Internet generation because he was super tech-savvy, but I thought that, given the level of access and information he was able to discuss, he had to be older.”
About This Quote
Source Documentary: Citizenfour, 2014
Assumptions about age and tech skill can mislead investigations; appearances may hide expertise.
In simple terms: Age doesn’t dictate tech ability.
Key Takeaway
Question assumptions about people’s capabilities.
Themes
investigation
technology
stereotypes
trust
Mood
analytical
inquisitive
Type
journalistic
reflective
When to use this quote
- journalism
- law enforcement
- online research
Key Concepts
cognitive bias
information gathering
digital literacy
Questions to Reflect On
- What biases affect your judgment?
- How can you verify expertise without stereotypes?
A Different Perspective
Assumptions can cause missed opportunities or errors.
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