Accounts Quote by William Finnegan
“It's completely different, for instance, to report on poor farmers in Africa than it is to report on, say, poor African-Americans. The familiarity of my readers with the terrain, and their preconceptions, are quite different in those two cases, and their perspective, as I imagine it, has to be taken into account at every turn.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: The New Yorker, “The World’s Most Dangerous Place”, 1999
The journalist must adapt coverage to audience familiarity and biases when reporting on different marginalized groups.
In simple terms: Tailor reporting to audience background and assumptions.
Key Takeaway
Consider audience perspective in storytelling.
Themes
journalism
culture
bias
audience
representation
Mood
thoughtful
analytical
Type
explanatory
reflective
When to use this quote
- reporting on African farmers
- covering African-American poverty
- media training
- public policy communication
Key Concepts
media ethics
cultural competence
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you adjust narratives for diverse readers?
- What assumptions might you overlook?
A Different Perspective
Audience bias can limit empathy and understanding.
![“The coverage [of crimes] is different. It's less angry when white [athletes] are involved, less accusatory, less judgemental. I see that in the pieces that are written and reported. At times it bothers me to the point that I just stop reading...just stop.” quote by Michael Wilbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c8b/michael-wilbon-21629_angry_the-coverage-of-crimes-is-different-it-s_1379418.jpg)
