---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If journalism is the first draft of…"
description: "\"If journalism is the first draft of history, then digital literacy is the first blush of the first page of history.\" — Michael Eric Dyson"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b2/michael-eric-dyson-1424_digital_if-journalism-is-the-first-draft-of-hist_2570950.png"
---

#  If journalism is the first draft of history, then digital…

![“If journalism is the first draft of history, then digital literacy is the first blush of the first page of history.” quote by Michael Eric Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b2/michael-eric-dyson-1424_digital_if-journalism-is-the-first-draft-of-hist_2570950.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b2/michael-eric-dyson-1424_digital_if-journalism-is-the-first-draft-of-hist_2570950.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b2/michael-eric-dyson-1424_digital_if-journalism-is-the-first-draft-of-hist_2570950.png)

> “If journalism is the first draft of history, then digital literacy is the first blush of the first page of history.”

[Michael Eric Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eric-dyson/)

## About This Quote

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

Journalism drafts history; digital literacy is the initial spark of that draft.

**In simple terms:** Journalism writes history; digital literacy starts it.

Key Takeaway

Promote digital literacy for accurate history.

Themes

media history technology

Mood

concerned informed

Type

academic activist

When to use this quote

- journalists
- educators
- policy makers
- students

Key Concepts

communication studies information ethics

Questions to Reflect On

- How does digital literacy shape historical records?
- What steps improve media literacy?

A Different Perspective

Digital gaps can skew narratives.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Digital](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/digital/) [Digital Literacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/digital-literacy-1689851/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [History Digital](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history-digital-1689852/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Journalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journalism/) [Journalism Draft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journalism-draft-1689853/) [Literacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literacy/) [Literacy Blush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literacy-blush-1689854/) [Pages](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pages/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/)

## Related quotes

> [The Internet, and all the jobs that come with it, continues to expand, and this makes digital literacy a crucial part of every girls'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tae-yoo/the-internet-and-all-the-jobs-that-come-with-it-continues-to-expand/)

[Tae Yoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tae-yoo/)

> [More and more, job listings are exclusively available online and as technology evolves nearly every occupation now requires a basic level of digital literacy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-k-powell/more-and-more-job-listings-are-exclusively-available-online-and-as/)

[Michael K. Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-k-powell/)

> [If journalism is the first draft of history, then the Internet simply has provided a new means for delivering that draft far and wide…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-daschle/if-journalism-is-the-first-draft-of-history-then-the-internet-simply/)

[Tom Daschle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-daschle/)

> [Journalism is the first draft of history](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-graham/journalism-is-the-first-draft-of-history/)

[Phil Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-graham/)

> [If journalism is the first draft of history, then talk radio provides an early glimpse into how the meaning of political events will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackson-katz/if-journalism-is-the-first-draft-of-history-then-talk-radio-provides/)

[Jackson Katz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackson-katz/)

> [For technology to be a force for peace and food security, we must widen access to reliable and affordable Internet, accompanied by training in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-thomas-greenfield/for-technology-to-be-a-force-for-peace-and-food-security-we-must/)

[Linda Thomas-Greenfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-thomas-greenfield/)

> [Throughour partnerships, the United States is counteringthenarrativesofterroristsacrossthe platforms on which they communicate. Weare alsolooking forinnovative ways to foster digital literacy and build resilience to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-thomas-greenfield/throughour-partnerships-the-united-states-is/)

[Linda Thomas-Greenfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-thomas-greenfield/)

> [We began to connect literacy and learning and the lively effects of biblical knowledge and preaching pretty early. That was a tremendous impact.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eric-dyson/we-began-to-connect-literacy-and-learning-and-the-lively-effects-of/)

[Michael Eric Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eric-dyson/)

> [Reading a book is like re-writing it for yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-carter/reading-a-book-is-like-re-writing-it-for-yourself/)

[Angela Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-carter/)

> [Wherever there is a jackboot stomping on a human face there will be a well-heeled Western liberal to explain that the face does, after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-derbyshire/wherever-there-is-a-jackboot-stomping-on-a-human-face-there-will-be-a/)

[John Derbyshire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-derbyshire/)

> [To succeed, you will soon learn, as I did, the importance of a solid foundation in the basics of education - literacy, both verbal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-greenspan/to-succeed-you-will-soon-learn-as-i-did-the-importance-of-a-solid/)

[Alan Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-greenspan/)

> [A children's author on a soapbox is not a pleasant sight but I have become drawn into issues, slightly unwillingly, relating to young people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-horowitz/a-children-s-author-on-a-soapbox-is-not-a-pleasant-sight-but-i-have/)

[Anthony Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-horowitz/)

> [In a library we are surrounded by many hundreds of dear friends, but they are imprisoned by an enchanter in these paper and leathern…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/in-a-library-we-are-surrounded-by-many-hundreds-of-dear-friends-but/)

[Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/)

> [“Back at home they drew the curtains and read, with disapproval, with relish, with avidity and glee - even the ones who'd never thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/back-at-home-they-drew-the-curtains-and-read-with-disapproval-with/)

[Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/)

> [Love of books is the best of all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-kennedy/love-of-books-is-the-best-of-all/)

[Jackie Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-kennedy/)

## More by Michael Eric Dyson

> [Jeremiah Wright is one of the greatest prophetic preachers that black America has produced. What I find striking is that many white brothers and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eric-dyson/jeremiah-wright-is-one-of-the-greatest-prophetic-preachers-that-black/)

[Michael Eric Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eric-dyson/)

> [ What are you for? It may be, to a degree, consoling that white brothers and sisters did not vote for \[Donald\] Trump, and do… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eric-dyson/what-are-you-for-it-may-be-to-a-degree-consoling-that-white-brothers/)

[Michael Eric Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eric-dyson/)

> [I went to school four years later than most people because I was a teen father, hustled on the streets, worked, lived on welfare…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eric-dyson/i-went-to-school-four-years-later-than-most-people-because-i-was-a/)

[Michael Eric Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eric-dyson/)

> [It is true that race is a social fiction, a myth perpetuated by a variety of peoples throughout the modern period, especially, to further…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eric-dyson/it-is-true-that-race-is-a-social-fiction-a-myth-perpetuated-by-a/)

[Michael Eric Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eric-dyson/)

> [ I've written a lot of other books and this book \[Tears we cannot stop\] was different. I couldn't just say what I wanted to… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eric-dyson/i-ve-written-a-lot-of-other-books-and-this-book-tears-we-cannot-stop/)

[Michael Eric Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eric-dyson/)

> [“And there is a paradox that many of you refuse to see: to get to a point where race won’t make a difference, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eric-dyson/and-there-is-a-paradox-that-many-of-you-refuse-to-see-to-get-to-a/)

[Michael Eric Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eric-dyson/)

> [ Elvis \[Presley\] had a stepstool, if you will, to success because he came from the dominant culture. They identified with him. Michael Jackson had… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eric-dyson/elvis-presley-had-a-stepstool-if-you-will-to-success-because-he-came/)

[Michael Eric Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eric-dyson/)

> [I believe in a God of a second chance and a God of love and mercy, because I need so much more of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eric-dyson/i-believe-in-a-god-of-a-second-chance-and-a-god-of-love-and-mercy/)

[Michael Eric Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eric-dyson/)

> [Hurricane Katrina overwhelmed levees and exploded the conventional wisdom about a shared American prosperity, exposing a group of people so poor they didn't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eric-dyson/hurricane-katrina-overwhelmed-levees-and-exploded-the-conventional/)

[Michael Eric Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eric-dyson/)

> [I was very struck when Min. Farrakhan said if Jesus and Muhammad were here today, they'd be embracing each other. That's a tremendous message…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eric-dyson/i-was-very-struck-when-min-farrakhan-said-if-jesus-and-muhammad-were/)

[Michael Eric Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eric-dyson/)

> [“O! save us, we pray thee, thou God of Heaven and of earth, from the devouring hands of the white Christians!!! . . .…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eric-dyson/o-save-us-we-pray-thee-thou-god-of-heaven-and-of-earth-from-the/)

[Michael Eric Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eric-dyson/)

> [We can't exempt ourselves from the same moral calculus that we are willing to apply to others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eric-dyson/we-can-t-exempt-ourselves-from-the-same-moral-calculus-that-we-are/)

[Michael Eric Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eric-dyson/)

> [New Orleans invented the brown paper bag party - usually at a gathering in a home - where anyone darker than the bag attached…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eric-dyson/new-orleans-invented-the-brown-paper-bag-party-usually-at-a-gathering/)

[Michael Eric Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eric-dyson/)

> [“Whiteness is an advantage and privilege because you have made it so, not because the universe demands it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eric-dyson/whiteness-is-an-advantage-and-privilege-because-you-have-made-it-so/)

[Michael Eric Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eric-dyson/)

> [I'm just challenging white supremacy at its intellectual heart every day. It's a pedagogy that I deploy against some of the most vicious resistance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eric-dyson/i-m-just-challenging-white-supremacy-at-its-intellectual-heart-every/)

[Michael Eric Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eric-dyson/)

[Explore all 242 Michael Eric Dyson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eric-dyson/)

## More Digital quotes

> [I had an idea for a technologically advanced luxury watch. I got involved in digital art and neon painting and put on shows of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giorgio-moroder/i-had-an-idea-for-a-technologically-advanced-luxury-watch-i-got/)

[Giorgio Moroder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giorgio-moroder/)

> [Look at music for what it's worth around the world and not just America. In other countries, people are still buying CDs and going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snoop-dogg/look-at-music-for-what-it-s-worth-around-the-world-and-not-just/)

[Snoop Dogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snoop-dogg/)

> [When I went to medical school, the term 'digital' applied only to rectal exams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-topol/when-i-went-to-medical-school-the-term-digital-applied-only-to-rectal/)

[Eric Topol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-topol/)

> [We want to free our citizens from the burden of excessive paper documents in every office. We want paperless transactions. We will set up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/we-want-to-free-our-citizens-from-the-burden-of-excessive-paper/)

[Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/)

> [I'm not mad at digital media at all; I just see the importance and beauty of physical media.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/el-p/i-m-not-mad-at-digital-media-at-all-i-just-see-the-importance-and/)

[El-P](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/el-p/)

> [To bring the benefits of the digital age to all Americans, the FCC needs to make it easier for companies to build and expand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ajit-pai/to-bring-the-benefits-of-the-digital-age-to-all-americans-the-fcc/)

[Ajit Pai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ajit-pai/)

> [It is very hard to transform your culture and your workforce to be a relevant company in the digital world if all of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-sweet/it-is-very-hard-to-transform-your-culture-and-your-workforce-to-be-a/)

[Julie Sweet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-sweet/)

> [Many American TV actors employ agents, managers, business managers, publicists and stylists, and are now adding digital media manager to the list. Their job…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-bellman/many-american-tv-actors-employ-agents-managers-business-managers/)

[Gina Bellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-bellman/)

> [“I've decided that has been the great achievement of our age: to so thoroughly flood the planet with megabits that every image and fact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-lightman/i-ve-decided-that-has-been-the-great-achievement-of-our-age-to-so/)

[Alan Lightman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-lightman/)

> [Truth is, people like buying things for $0.99 and $1.99 for their digital devices. We know that from iTunes. We know that from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-lee/truth-is-people-like-buying-things-for-0-99-and-1-99-for-their/)

[Jennifer Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-lee/)

> [But I had never drawn on a tablet before. I've been doing pencil and paper and film for almost 20 years. I wanted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-hertzfeldt/but-i-had-never-drawn-on-a-tablet-before-i-ve-been-doing-pencil-and/)

[Don Hertzfeldt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-hertzfeldt/)

> [If you want to live a meaningfully better life, you're going to have to make the dangerous choice to dissent. A life lived meaningfully…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umair-haque/if-you-want-to-live-a-meaningfully-better-life-you-re-going-to-have/)

[Umair Haque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umair-haque/)

> [As human beings, we are the only organisms that create for the sheer stupid pleasure of doing so. Whether it's laying out a garden,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-hamel/as-human-beings-we-are-the-only-organisms-that-create-for-the-sheer/)

[Gary Hamel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-hamel/)

> [I do think there's something about the digital age that is increasingly dehumanising us. We're in this very weird place where we're being pulled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-j-abrams/i-do-think-there-s-something-about-the-digital-age-that-is/)

[J. J. Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-j-abrams/)

> [A lot of people that buy vinyl today don’t realise that they’re listening to CD masters on vinyl and that’s because the record companies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-young/a-lot-of-people-that-buy-vinyl-today-don-t-realise-that-they-re/)

[Neil Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-young/)

[Browse all 1,708 Digital quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/digital/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "If journalism is the first draft of history, then digital literacy is the first blush of the first page of history.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Michael Eric Dyson"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eric-dyson/if-journalism-is-the-first-draft-of-history-then-digital-literacy-is/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Digital"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eric-dyson/if-journalism-is-the-first-draft-of-history-then-digital-literacy-is/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b2/michael-eric-dyson-1424_digital_if-journalism-is-the-first-draft-of-hist_2570950.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b2/michael-eric-dyson-1424_digital_if-journalism-is-the-first-draft-of-hist_2570950.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b2/michael-eric-dyson-1424_digital_if-journalism-is-the-first-draft-of-hist_2570950.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“If journalism is the first draft of history, then digital literacy is the first blush of the first page of…” — Michael Eric Dyson",
                "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": "Michael Eric Dyson",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eric-dyson/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "If journalism is the first draft...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eric-dyson/if-journalism-is-the-first-draft-of-history-then-digital-literacy-is/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eric-dyson/if-journalism-is-the-first-draft-of-history-then-digital-literacy-is/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
