---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: An important aspect of Kaplan’s New York…"
description: "\"“An important aspect of Kaplan’s New York Observer and its self-conscious inside media baseball was that the paper became the prime school for a new ge..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbb/michael-wolff-423_face-value_an-important-aspect-of-kaplan-s-new-york_15301.jpg"
---

#  An important aspect of Kaplan’s New York Observer and its…

![“An important aspect of Kaplan’s New York Observer and its self-conscious inside media baseball was that the paper became the prime school for a new generation of media reporters flooding every other publication in New York as journalism itself became ever more self-conscious and self-referential…” quote by Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbb/michael-wolff-423_face-value_an-important-aspect-of-kaplan-s-new-york_15301.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbb/michael-wolff-423_face-value_an-important-aspect-of-kaplan-s-new-york_15301.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbb/michael-wolff-423_face-value_an-important-aspect-of-kaplan-s-new-york_15301.jpg)

> ““An important aspect of Kaplan’s New York Observer and its self-conscious inside media baseball was that the paper became the prime school for a new generation of media reporters flooding every other publication in New York as journalism itself became ever more self-conscious and self-referential. To everyone working in media in New York, Donald Trump represented the ultimate shame of working in media in New York: you might have to write about Donald Trump. Not writing about him, or certainly not taking him at face value, became a moral stand.””

[Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/)

## About This Quote

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

The quote highlights how New York journalism became self‑absorbed, using Trump coverage as a litmus test for integrity, where avoiding or questioning him became a moral stance.

**In simple terms:** Media self‑reference and moral positioning

Key Takeaway

Trump coverage became a journalistic moral test

Themes

media self‑awareness journalistic ethics political coverage New York press culture self‑referential journalism

Mood

critical reflective cynical

Type

analytical observational cautionary

When to use this quote

- reporters deciding whether to cover Trump
- newsrooms debating editorial stance
- journalists facing pressure to conform
- media professionals reflecting on integrity

Key Concepts

journalism political bias ethical standards media ecosystems

Practical Applications

- media ethics training
- newsroom policy development

Questions to Reflect On

- How does self‑referential coverage affect public trust?
- Can moral stances be objectively defined in journalism?

A Different Perspective

null

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Face value](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/face-value/) [Journalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journalism/)

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