---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think the idea of creating a television…"
description: "\"I think the idea of creating a television news source that is not beholden to corporate interests is nirvana.\" — Phil Donahue"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/275/phil-donahue-11688_corporate_i-think-the-idea-of-creating-a-televisio_2283125.jpg"
---

#  I think the idea of creating a television news source that…

![“I think the idea of creating a television news source that is not beholden to corporate interests is nirvana.” quote by Phil Donahue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/275/phil-donahue-11688_corporate_i-think-the-idea-of-creating-a-televisio_2283125.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/275/phil-donahue-11688_corporate_i-think-the-idea-of-creating-a-televisio_2283125.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/275/phil-donahue-11688_corporate_i-think-the-idea-of-creating-a-televisio_2283125.jpg)

> “I think the idea of creating a television news source that is not beholden to corporate interests is nirvana.”

[Phil Donahue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-donahue/)

## About This Quote

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

A truly independent news outlet, free from corporate control, is an ideal but nearly unattainable.

**In simple terms:** Independent news is a lofty dream.

Key Takeaway

Pursue unbiased information.

Themes

media independence ethics

Mood

critical analytical

Type

journalistic philosophical

When to use this quote

- journalism
- public discourse
- media literacy
- policy reform

Key Concepts

corporate influence bias

Questions to Reflect On

- Can true independence exist in modern media?
- What safeguards ensure unbiased reporting?

A Different Perspective

Corporate funding often shapes content despite intentions.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Corporate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corporate/) [Creating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creating/) [Creating Television](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creating-television-3387942/) [Idea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idea/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interest/) [Interests Nirvana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interests-nirvana-5336708/) [Journalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journalism/) [News](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/news/) [News Source](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/news-source-2291428/) [Source](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/source/) [Television](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/television/) [Television news](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/television-news/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/)

## Related quotes

> [Creating a television property means we'll be able to move fans from laptops to living rooms and engage completely new audiences while building backstories…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-disrespect/creating-a-television-property-means-we-ll-be-able-to-move-fans-from/)

[Dr. Disrespect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-disrespect/)

> [Sitting around with funny people, banging out jokes and creating a television show. I have no hobbies, no outside interests. I'm fine with spending…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-stewart/sitting-around-with-funny-people-banging-out-jokes-and-creating-a/)

[Jon Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-stewart/)

> [I think a lot of the people who feel out of step with contemporary society or feel that they've been left back economically or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-whitehouse/i-think-a-lot-of-the-people-who-feel-out-of-step-with-contemporary-2/)

[Sheldon Whitehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-whitehouse/)

> ['Fox lies' has become a favorite mantra of the Left, yet there is a reason Fox News blows away the other cable networks in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-kessler/fox-lies-has-become-a-favorite-mantra-of-the-left-yet-there-is-a/)

[Ronald Kessler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-kessler/)

> [I get mad at myself when I get news from Twitter before I get it from a regular news source. Then I'm off to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-brownstein/i-get-mad-at-myself-when-i-get-news-from-twitter-before-i-get-it-from/)

[Carrie Brownstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-brownstein/)

> [You need, in order to run a country as diverse as ours, a prominently recognized news source.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tucker-carlson/you-need-in-order-to-run-a-country-as-diverse-as-ours-a-prominently/)

[Tucker Carlson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tucker-carlson/)

> [Twenty-two percent of Americans say their primary news source is Fox News. It's divided our country in a way that we haven't been divided…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-f-kennedy-jr/twenty-two-percent-of-americans-say-their-primary-news-source-is-fox/)

[Robert F. Kennedy, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-f-kennedy-jr/)

> [I love breaking news. And I was always trying to create the new, the next thing in television news. So I was the first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoey-tur/i-love-breaking-news-and-i-was-always-trying-to-create-the-new-the/)

[Zoey Tur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoey-tur/)

> [We are seeing every night on the television news now a nature hike through the Book of Revelation. These climate-related extreme weather events have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-gore/we-are-seeing-every-night-on-the-television-news-now-a-nature-hike/)

[Al Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-gore/)

> [I don't watch television news and, so, whatever I know is from online snippets released by various channels.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barkha-dutt/i-don-t-watch-television-news-and-so-whatever-i-know-is-from-online/)

[Barkha Dutt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barkha-dutt/)

> [I think a lot of people in television news look at the cable networks with great envy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-wallace/i-think-a-lot-of-people-in-television-news-look-at-the-cable-networks/)

[Chris Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-wallace/)

> [There is no reason to confuse television news with journalism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/there-is-no-reason-to-confuse-television-news-with-journalism/)

[Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/)

> [The news media's silence, particularly television news, is reprehensible. If we knew as much about Darfur as we do about Michael Jackson, we might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-d-kristof/the-news-media-s-silence-particularly-television-news-is/)

[Nicholas D. Kristof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-d-kristof/)

> [I want you to know that, despite what you might read at times in the newspapers or see on the television news, we have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-cellucci/i-want-you-to-know-that-despite-what-you-might-read-at-times-in-the/)

[Paul Cellucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-cellucci/)

> [Prejudice against womenis many, many times intensified against older women. You are viewed not as an intellect but as a body… Astonishingly, even women's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elinor-guggenheimer/prejudice-against-womenis-many-many-times-intensified-against-older/)

[Elinor Guggenheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elinor-guggenheimer/)

## More by Phil Donahue

> [Is it any wonder that for millions of men the only intimacy is physical, silent, and predictable?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-donahue/is-it-any-wonder-that-for-millions-of-men-the-only-intimacy-is/)

[Phil Donahue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-donahue/)

> [I find celebrity status difficult to bear when I am in the company of my mother.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-donahue/i-find-celebrity-status-difficult-to-bear-when-i-am-in-the-company-of/)

[Phil Donahue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-donahue/)

> [Airlines are interesting. They not only favor celebrities, they court them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-donahue/airlines-are-interesting-they-not-only-favor-celebrities-they-court/)

[Phil Donahue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-donahue/)

> [Miss Child is never bashful with butter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-donahue/miss-child-is-never-bashful-with-butter/)

[Phil Donahue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-donahue/)

> [I'd rather be called 'Sleazy' than to be identified as intelligent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-donahue/i-d-rather-be-called-sleazy-than-to-be-identified-as-intelligent/)

[Phil Donahue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-donahue/)

> [In a network situation, a vice president, while he's shaving, can decide your history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-donahue/in-a-network-situation-a-vice-president-while-he-s-shaving-can-decide/)

[Phil Donahue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-donahue/)

> [I believe celebrity spoils people - some worse than others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-donahue/i-believe-celebrity-spoils-people-some-worse-than-others/)

[Phil Donahue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-donahue/)

> [To a journalist, good news is often not news at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-donahue/to-a-journalist-good-news-is-often-not-news-at-all/)

[Phil Donahue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-donahue/)

> [I realize what you can do when you scare the population and how media contributes to that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-donahue/i-realize-what-you-can-do-when-you-scare-the-population-and-how-media/)

[Phil Donahue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-donahue/)

> [The biggest threat to this country isn't the Russians. It's our own inability to make democracy or capitalism work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-donahue/the-biggest-threat-to-this-country-isn-t-the-russians-it-s-our-own/)

[Phil Donahue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-donahue/)

> [Presenting statues of honor to reporters for covering an earthquake is like presenting a first prize to a doctor for performing surgery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-donahue/presenting-statues-of-honor-to-reporters-for-covering-an-earthquake/)

[Phil Donahue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-donahue/)

> [Oprah is more than an institution. Oprah is a very special star in the firmament. I can't imagine a greater success than she's enjoyed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-donahue/oprah-is-more-than-an-institution-oprah-is-a-very-special-star-in-the/)

[Phil Donahue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-donahue/)

> [The Tube is a vehicle for selling things, not for exploring ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-donahue/the-tube-is-a-vehicle-for-selling-things-not-for-exploring-ideas/)

[Phil Donahue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-donahue/)

> [In 1953 there were two ways for an Irish Catholic boy to impress his parents: become a priest or attend Notre Dame.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-donahue/in-1953-there-were-two-ways-for-an-irish-catholic-boy-to-impress-his/)

[Phil Donahue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-donahue/)

> [I was proud of the waves I had made, but wondered how many boats I was supposed to rock.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-donahue/i-was-proud-of-the-waves-i-had-made-but-wondered-how-many-boats-i-was/)

[Phil Donahue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-donahue/)

[Explore all 58 Phil Donahue quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-donahue/)

## More Corporate quotes

> [“The global population of Earth are involved in the following corporate government experiments: The long term effects of - 1. Nuclear bomb fallout radiation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/the-global-population-of-earth-are-involved-in-the-following/)

[Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/)

> [The corporate state is an immensely powerful machine, ordered, legalistic, rational, yet utterly out of human control, wholly and perfectly indifferent to any human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-a-reich/the-corporate-state-is-an-immensely-powerful-machine-ordered/)

[Charles A. Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-a-reich/)

> [Perhaps the greatest and least visible form of impoverishment caused by the Corporate State is the destruction of community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-a-reich/perhaps-the-greatest-and-least-visible-form-of-impoverishment-caused/)

[Charles A. Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-a-reich/)

> [...As the disparity between the rich and the poor grows, the fight to corner resources is intensifying. To push through their "sweetheart deals," to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/as-the-disparity-between-the-rich-and-the-poor-grows-the-fight-to/)

[Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/)

> [I think we have to take a look at corporate law. We have to take a look at the incentives that we can perhaps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/i-think-we-have-to-take-a-look-at-corporate-law-we-have-to-take-a/)

[Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/)

> [I don't think we should reduce the corporate tax rate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zephyr-teachout/i-don-t-think-we-should-reduce-the-corporate-tax-rate/)

[Zephyr Teachout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zephyr-teachout/)

> [The larger an English industry was, the more likely it was to go bankrupt, because the English were not naturally corporate people; they disliked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-theroux/the-larger-an-english-industry-was-the-more-likely-it-was-to-go/)

[Paul Theroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-theroux/)

> [I put a lot of emphasis on how to treat people. The reason for this is simple. The real success of our personal lives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-kay-ash/i-put-a-lot-of-emphasis-on-how-to-treat-people-the-reason-for-this-is/)

[Mary Kay Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-kay-ash/)

> [I'm less concerned about whether being a good corporate citizen burnishes a company's reputation. That's just an added benefit. I believe it's a responsibility,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-burns/i-m-less-concerned-about-whether-being-a-good-corporate-citizen/)

[Ursula Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-burns/)

> [The spinning wheel for us is the foundation for all public corporate life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/the-spinning-wheel-for-us-is-the-foundation-for-all-public-corporate/)

[Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/)

> [I truly believe that one of the things that has been lacking in America is a spirit of repentance about the injustices of slavery…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-oyelowo/i-truly-believe-that-one-of-the-things-that-has-been-lacking-in/)

[David Oyelowo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-oyelowo/)

> [Corporate America is a 20th-century dinosaur, trembling on the edge of extinction, and the only way for you to have a genuinely secure future…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kiyosaki/corporate-america-is-a-20th-century-dinosaur-trembling-on-the-edge-of/)

[Robert Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kiyosaki/)

> [I think, honestly, that the word 'indie' is a false gimmick. 'Independent' used to mean a movie that was financed outside corporate Hollywood, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-gordon-levitt/i-think-honestly-that-the-word-indie-is-a-false-gimmick-independent/)

[Joseph Gordon-Levitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-gordon-levitt/)

> [Higher projected corporate and personal income tax receipts and lower public debt charges.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-goodale/higher-projected-corporate-and-personal-income-tax-receipts-and-lower/)

[Ralph Goodale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-goodale/)

> [For us, my wife and I and all of my partners believe that corporations have to be corporate citizens, and individuals who benefit from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-walter/for-us-my-wife-and-i-and-all-of-my-partners-believe-that-corporations/)

[Mark Walter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-walter/)

[Browse all 1,460 Corporate quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corporate/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I think the idea of creating a television news source that is not beholden to corporate interests is nirvana.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Phil Donahue"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-donahue/i-think-the-idea-of-creating-a-television-news-source-that-is-not/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Corporate"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-donahue/i-think-the-idea-of-creating-a-television-news-source-that-is-not/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/275/phil-donahue-11688_corporate_i-think-the-idea-of-creating-a-televisio_2283125.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/275/phil-donahue-11688_corporate_i-think-the-idea-of-creating-a-televisio_2283125.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/275/phil-donahue-11688_corporate_i-think-the-idea-of-creating-a-televisio_2283125.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I think the idea of creating a television news source that is not beholden to corporate interests is nirvana.” — Phil Donahue",
                "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": "Phil Donahue",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-donahue/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I think the idea of creating...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-donahue/i-think-the-idea-of-creating-a-television-news-source-that-is-not/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-donahue/i-think-the-idea-of-creating-a-television-news-source-that-is-not/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
