--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's a game. That's why we call it 'the…" description: "\"It's a game. That's why we call it 'the news.' It's just a game.\" — Stephen Colbert" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02f/stephen-colbert-503_game_it-s-a-game-that-s-why-we-call-it-the-ne_2181847.png" --- # It's a game. That's why we call it 'the news.' It's just a… ![“It's a game. That's why we call it 'the news.' It's just a game.” quote by Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02f/stephen-colbert-503_game_it-s-a-game-that-s-why-we-call-it-the-ne_2181847.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02f/stephen-colbert-503_game_it-s-a-game-that-s-why-we-call-it-the-ne_2181847.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02f/stephen-colbert-503_game_it-s-a-game-that-s-why-we-call-it-the-ne_2181847.png) > “It's a game. That's why we call it 'the news.' It's just a game.” [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. News is portrayed as entertainment, emphasizing its performative nature over factual reporting. **In simple terms:** News is treated like a game. Key Takeaway Recognize media as performance. Themes media politics entertainment truth Mood ironic humorous Type satirical commentary When to use this quote - Watching news - media literacy - critical thinking Key Concepts Satire media criticism public discourse Questions to Reflect On - How does satire affect public trust? - Can entertainment and information coexist? A Different Perspective The statement may ignore serious journalism. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Game](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/game/) [Games](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/games/) [Journalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journalism/) [News](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/news/) [Sports](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sports/) ## Related quotes > [I've gotten to the point I won't even watch the 11 o'clock news. You just walk away from it thinking how bad everything is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-foxworthy/i-ve-gotten-to-the-point-i-won-t-even-watch-the-11-o-clock-news-you/) [Jeff Foxworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-foxworthy/) > [If I programmed my own TV network, it would air good news! Just positive stories. Heroic stories. Cute puppy dogs doin' stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-aniston/if-i-programmed-my-own-tv-network-it-would-air-good-news-just/) [Jennifer Aniston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-aniston/) > [We just have to go after our game plan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eli-manning/we-just-have-to-go-after-our-game-plan/) [Eli Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-manning/) > [Novels often thin themselves out to a watery hue - some even start that way - and at times seem to only ride along…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-means/novels-often-thin-themselves-out-to-a-watery-hue-some-even-start-that/) [David Means](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-means/) > [People feel compelled to continue reading and hearing the news. Sometimes, you just want somebody to be yelling at it with you as you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-petri/people-feel-compelled-to-continue-reading-and-hearing-the-news/) [Alexandra Petri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-petri/) > [Bad news is just an excuse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-young/bad-news-is-just-an-excuse/) [Neil Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-young/) > [Limiting the freedom of news 'just a little bit' is in the same category with the classic example 'a little bit pregnant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/limiting-the-freedom-of-news-just-a-little-bit-is-in-the-same/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [I've been on MSNBC and CNN and Fox News. Not just Fox News, not just CNN.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-a-smith/i-ve-been-on-msnbc-and-cnn-and-fox-news-not-just-fox-news-not-just-cnn/) [Stephen A. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-a-smith/) > [“The news is just the story of the same thing happening to different people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whiskey-britches/the-news-is-just-the-story-of-the-same-thing-happening-to-different/) [Whiskey Britches](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whiskey-britches/) > [A lot of news is just entertainment masquerading as news.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nate-silver/a-lot-of-news-is-just-entertainment-masquerading-as-news/) [Nate Silver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nate-silver/) > [Not a lot of people watch cable news, they just don't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-pelley/not-a-lot-of-people-watch-cable-news-they-just-don-t/) [Scott Pelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-pelley/) > [Who needs to watch the news when you can just check your facebook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/riley-g/who-needs-to-watch-the-news-when-you-can-just-check-your-facebook/) Riley G > [Police blog or entertainment news, it's just good to see your name in print.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-b-smoove/police-blog-or-entertainment-news-it-s-just-good-to-see-your-name-in/) [J. B. Smoove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-b-smoove/) > [“There's no new news, just old news with new dates”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/there-s-no-new-news-just-old-news-with-new-dates/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I am not someone who would build up false news just to get attention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sana-khan/i-am-not-someone-who-would-build-up-false-news-just-to-get-attention/) [Sana Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sana-khan/) ## More by Stephen Colbert > [Don't be bitter. Everybody suffers. If you can accept your suffering then you will understand other people better. Be grateful for pain. Love life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/don-t-be-bitter-everybody-suffers-if-you-can-accept-your-suffering/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [Cynicism masquerades as wisdom, but it is the farthest thing from it. Because cynics don’t learn anything. Because cynicism is a self-imposed blindness, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/cynicism-masquerades-as-wisdom-but-it-is-the-farthest-thing-from-it/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [We all deserve credit for this new surveillance state that we live in because we the people voted for the Patriot Act. Democrats and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/we-all-deserve-credit-for-this-new-surveillance-state-that-we-live-in/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [I've long been against illegal aliens, partly because they distract us from an even bigger threat: real aliens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/i-ve-long-been-against-illegal-aliens-partly-because-they-distract-us/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [Believe in me, cause I don't believe in anything, and I wanna be someone to believe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/believe-in-me-cause-i-don-t-believe-in-anything-and-i-wanna-be/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [It's August, which means Congress is on recess and Mitch McConnell has shimmied back into the ocean to seek a mate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/it-s-august-which-means-congress-is-on-recess-and-mitch-mcconnell-has/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [Try to love others and serve others and hopefully find those who love and serve you in return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/try-to-love-others-and-serve-others-and-hopefully-find-those-who-love/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [Thirty seconds is the exact amount of time Americans can tolerate something they don't understand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/thirty-seconds-is-the-exact-amount-of-time-americans-can-tolerate/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [I used to make up stuff in my bio all the time, that I used to be a professional ice-skater and stuff like that.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/i-used-to-make-up-stuff-in-my-bio-all-the-time-that-i-used-to-be-a/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [I live by syllogisms: God is love. Love is blind. Stevie Wonder is blind. Therefore, Stevie Wonder is God. I don't know what I'd…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/i-live-by-syllogisms-god-is-love-love-is-blind-stevie-wonder-is-blind/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [“Unlike Paul Newman, who seems to think that salad dressing is the cure-all for America's ills, I'm a man of action.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/unlike-paul-newman-who-seems-to-think-that-salad-dressing-is-the-cure/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [Now, for my younger viewers out there, a book is something we used to have before the internet. It’s sort of a blog for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/now-for-my-younger-viewers-out-there-a-book-is-something-we-used-to/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [Jesus forgives sinners, not criminals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/jesus-forgives-sinners-not-criminals/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [Used books are the sluts of the literary world. Passed around from person to person, spreading their pages for anyone, getting cheaper and cheaper…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/used-books-are-the-sluts-of-the-literary-world-passed-around-from/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [“Divorce is a marital welfare. It's just couples asking society to bail them out because they didn't do enough research before they got married.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/divorce-is-a-marital-welfare-it-s-just-couples-asking-society-to-bail/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) [Explore all 514 Stephen Colbert quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) ## More Game quotes > [Raised by game where niggas ain't phased by fame. Come to the crib, get banged, they take your chain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/common/raised-by-game-where-niggas-ain-t-phased-by-fame-come-to-the-crib-get/) [Common](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/common/) > [If you take your eye off the ball or lose focus for even a minute you can lose a game against any team.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felipe-anderson/if-you-take-your-eye-off-the-ball-or-lose-focus-for-even-a-minute-you/) [Felipe Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felipe-anderson/) > [I've been lucky enough to, for the most part, surround myself with a lot of people who are more talented than me and who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-franco/i-ve-been-lucky-enough-to-for-the-most-part-surround-myself-with-a/) [Dave Franco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-franco/) > [It's no wonder Pep is one of the best coaches in the world. When I knew I could work with him I was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ederson/it-s-no-wonder-pep-is-one-of-the-best-coaches-in-the-world-when-i/) [Ederson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ederson/) > [I loved the game so much that even though our playing field was muddy and we had many trees on it, I used to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberto-clemente/i-loved-the-game-so-much-that-even-though-our-playing-field-was-muddy/) [Roberto Clemente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberto-clemente/) > [I've always been very hard on myself, and I never want to get to a point where I'm like, 'Alright, I'm kicking butt,' but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/becky-sauerbrunn/i-ve-always-been-very-hard-on-myself-and-i-never-want-to-get-to-a/) [Becky Sauerbrunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/becky-sauerbrunn/) > [The human element should be the two players on the court, not the officials. The best officials are the ones you never notice. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-scott/the-human-element-should-be-the-two-players-on-the-court-not-the/) Gene Scott > [Windmills and solar cells are carbon-free sources of electricity. But they are costly. If you've been investing in those, give it up. That game…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-fisher/windmills-and-solar-cells-are-carbon-free-sources-of-electricity-but/) [Kenneth Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-fisher/) > [Often in my game as an actor, someone else pays for your travel and there's nothing like being able to lie flat on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ioan-gruffudd/often-in-my-game-as-an-actor-someone-else-pays-for-your-travel-and/) [Ioan Gruffudd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ioan-gruffudd/) > [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/) > [With the Capital One Bowl, the average fan might think whoopty do. But if you are a team member, you win that game and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirk-herbstreit/with-the-capital-one-bowl-the-average-fan-might-think-whoopty-do-but/) [Kirk Herbstreit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirk-herbstreit/) > [I remember throughout middle school and high school how excited my mom, sister and I would be when a UNC game was on TV.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harrison-barnes/i-remember-throughout-middle-school-and-high-school-how-excited-my/) [Harrison Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harrison-barnes/) > [Obviously, I want to win, but at the same time, at the end of the day, it's a game and that's what I'm going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-rendon/obviously-i-want-to-win-but-at-the-same-time-at-the-end-of-the-day-it/) [Anthony Rendon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-rendon/) > [It's more than a game. It's an institution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hughes/it-s-more-than-a-game-it-s-an-institution/) [Thomas Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hughes/) > [There are things you can do in training like learn from the manager and talk with team-mates, but it's the game that tests you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-burke/there-are-things-you-can-do-in-training-like-learn-from-the-manager/) [Oliver Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-burke/) [Browse all 13,309 Game quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/game/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It's a game. That's why we call it 'the news.' 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