--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I've felt afraid as a reporter many…" description: "\"I've felt afraid as a reporter many times. Sometimes it's sharp, as in a bad moment, or a bad situation; other times it's general, as in a country know..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/896/william-finnegan-21232_bad-situation_i-ve-felt-afraid-as-a-reporter-many-time_1471212.jpg" --- # I've felt afraid as a reporter many times. Sometimes it's… ![“I've felt afraid as a reporter many times. Sometimes it's sharp, as in a bad moment, or a bad situation; other times it's general, as in a country known for kidnapping, where you can never quite relax.” quote by William Finnegan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/896/william-finnegan-21232_bad-situation_i-ve-felt-afraid-as-a-reporter-many-time_1471212.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/896/william-finnegan-21232_bad-situation_i-ve-felt-afraid-as-a-reporter-many-time_1471212.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/896/william-finnegan-21232_bad-situation_i-ve-felt-afraid-as-a-reporter-many-time_1471212.jpg) > “I've felt afraid as a reporter many times. Sometimes it's sharp, as in a bad moment, or a bad situation; other times it's general, as in a country known for kidnapping, where you can never quite relax.” [William Finnegan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-finnegan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A journalist confronts both acute and chronic fear, whether from immediate danger or the persistent threat of a hostile environment. **In simple terms:** Reporters face sharp and lingering fear in dangerous places. Key Takeaway Recognize and manage fear to stay effective. Themes fear journalism risk resilience Mood tense reflective Type cautionary realistic When to use this quote - conflict zones - investigative pieces - field interviews - covering crime Key Concepts psychology situational awareness ethical reporting Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance vigilance with composure? - What strategies help you stay alert without becoming paralyzed? A Different Perspective Fear can impair judgment and safety if unaddressed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Afraid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afraid/) [Afraid Reporter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afraid-reporter-5339004/) [Bad situation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-situation/) [Bad situations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-situations/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Felt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/felt/) [Felt Afraid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/felt-afraid-642749/) [Journalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journalism/) [Kidnapping](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kidnapping/) [Known](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/known/) [Moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moments/) [Never quit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/never-quit/) [Relax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relax/) [Reporter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reporter/) [Reporters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reporters/) [Situation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/situation/) [Sometimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sometimes/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [“Crime and punishment can be summed up in two classifications: there are bad people and there are people who get into bad situations. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnnie-dent-jr/crime-and-punishment-can-be-summed-up-in-two-classifications-there/) [Johnnie Dent Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnnie-dent-jr/) > [You're in good spirits when you create and produce great music. All situations inspire music in different ways, man, from good situations, bad situations,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-sean/you-re-in-good-spirits-when-you-create-and-produce-great-music-all/) [Big Sean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-sean/) > [I'm very fortunate to have parents who have kept me grounded, so I hopefully won't end up in a bad situation when I grow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raven-symone/i-m-very-fortunate-to-have-parents-who-have-kept-me-grounded-so-i/) [Raven-Symone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raven-symone/) > [Worry changes nothing, only positive actions change bad situations into good, only the light within will remove darkness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikas-runwal/worry-changes-nothing-only-positive-actions-change-bad-situations/) [Vikas Runwal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikas-runwal/) > [I try so hard to be mature and handle bad situations appropriately, but at the end of the day we all act stupid when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-try-so-hard-to-be-mature-and-handle-bad-situations-appropriately/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I'm not crying out for help, but I am sharing my experience in the hopes that readers will get something out of it. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashly-lorenzana/i-m-not-crying-out-for-help-but-i-am-sharing-my-experience-in-the/) [Ashly Lorenzana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashly-lorenzana/) > [If someone breaks into your home when you're there - that is, they don't wait to be sure that the house is empty -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-gottschall/if-someone-breaks-into-your-home-when-you-re-there-that-is-they-don-t/) [Jonathan Gottschall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-gottschall/) > [Don't confuse acceptance with being a naïve or weak person. Acceptance does not mean condoning negative behavior, staying in a bad situation, or not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-l-jampolsky/don-t-confuse-acceptance-with-being-a-na-ve-or-weak-person-acceptance/) [Lee L Jampolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-l-jampolsky/) > [I would come back to public school for usually about half the year. It was actually better for me to be out of school…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-shearer/i-would-come-back-to-public-school-for-usually-about-half-the-year-it/) [Harry Shearer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-shearer/) > [If you know someone who's depressed, please resolve never to ask them why. Depression isn't a straightforward response to a bad situation; depression just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/if-you-know-someone-who-s-depressed-please-resolve-never-to-ask-them/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [“Good influences are positive, and they see the good in even bad situations.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-hurdle/good-influences-are-positive-and-they-see-the-good-in-even-bad/) [Amber Hurdle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-hurdle/) > [It seems evident that the IMF has learned nothing from its inequality-inducing policies during the 1980s debt crises in Latin America nor from its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharan-burrow/it-seems-evident-that-the-imf-has-learned-nothing-from-its-inequality/) [Sharan Burrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharan-burrow/) > [Don't cut up your credit cards, the problem is not the cards, it's the lack of financial literacy of the person holding the cards…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kiyosaki/don-t-cut-up-your-credit-cards-the-problem-is-not-the-cards-it-s-the/) [Robert Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kiyosaki/) > [“In life there are good and bad situations. But when you are down in the valley looking up at the mountain, sometimes you realize…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-varnadore/in-life-there-are-good-and-bad-situations-but-when-you-are-down-in/) [Jennifer Varnadore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-varnadore/) > [You can always learn more from the bad situations. I learned to trust in myself, to give everything on the pitch, not only think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timo-werner/you-can-always-learn-more-from-the-bad-situations-i-learned-to-trust/) [Timo Werner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timo-werner/) ## More by William Finnegan > [The differences between the received wisdom, the standard version of events, and the facts on the ground may be subtle or they may be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-finnegan/the-differences-between-the-received-wisdom-the-standard-version-of/) [William Finnegan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-finnegan/) > [Writing is pretty flexible work, don't you think? If you want to surf, you just have to get a lot done when the waves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-finnegan/writing-is-pretty-flexible-work-don-t-you-think-if-you-want-to-surf/) [William Finnegan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-finnegan/) > [You're after something - not a story, but a certain, exquisitely intense encounter with beauty - and the only way to find it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-finnegan/you-re-after-something-not-a-story-but-a-certain-exquisitely-intense/) [William Finnegan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-finnegan/) > [“When I finally came in and complained, she tried to explain, not for the first time, how exquisitely boring it was to watch surfing.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-finnegan/when-i-finally-came-in-and-complained-she-tried-to-explain-not-for/) [William Finnegan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-finnegan/it-s-completely-different-for-instance-to-report-on-poor-farmers-in/) [William Finnegan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-finnegan/) > [“Surfing, to begin with, was not a “sport.” It was a “path.” And the more you poured into it, the more you got back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-finnegan/surfing-to-begin-with-was-not-a-sport-it-was-a-path-and-the-more-you/) [William Finnegan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-finnegan/) > [“I later spent a year studying Finnegans Wake with Norman O. Brown, an exercise in masturbatory obscurantism that Bryan would never have undertaken—and he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-finnegan/i-later-spent-a-year-studying-finnegans-wake-with-norman-o-brown-an/) [William Finnegan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-finnegan/) > [Poor-country surf communities can be complex and, to some extent, leveling. The fisherman's kid is competing head to head with the plutocrat's gilded son.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-finnegan/poor-country-surf-communities-can-be-complex-and-to-some-extent/) [William Finnegan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-finnegan/) > [I need to conduct myself differently in different communities. In my experience, the journalistic conventions - you know, I'm the reporter, you're the subject,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-finnegan/i-need-to-conduct-myself-differently-in-different-communities-in-my/) [William Finnegan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-finnegan/) > [There are good waves not that far from Manhattan - on Long Island, in north Jersey. It's true that the best surf around here…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-finnegan/there-are-good-waves-not-that-far-from-manhattan-on-long-island-in/) [William Finnegan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-finnegan/) > [I'm trying to find out what's actually true, which is nearly always something, if not a world of things, that you can't read in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-finnegan/i-m-trying-to-find-out-what-s-actually-true-which-is-nearly-always/) [William Finnegan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-finnegan/) > [I remember surfing in Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, even Madeira, when local fishermen had never seen a surfboard before, and refused to believe that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-finnegan/i-remember-surfing-in-fiji-samoa-tonga-even-madeira-when-local/) [William Finnegan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-finnegan/) > [Even wars, big conflicts that have drawn a lot of news coverage, sometimes seem to me to have a center that hasn't been described,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-finnegan/even-wars-big-conflicts-that-have-drawn-a-lot-of-news-coverage/) [William Finnegan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-finnegan/) > [As I travelled around Australia, strangers in pubs, on airplanes, in beach parking lots would bring up Gina Rinehart, not knowing I was writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-finnegan/as-i-travelled-around-australia-strangers-in-pubs-on-airplanes-in/) [William Finnegan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-finnegan/) > [“Being friends as in writing letters was so much easier than being friends as in living together.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-finnegan/being-friends-as-in-writing-letters-was-so-much-easier-than-being/) [William Finnegan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-finnegan/) [Explore all 29 William Finnegan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-finnegan/) ## More Afraid quotes > [It took me 20 years to buy an electric typewriter, because I was afraid it would be too sensitive. I like to bang the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/it-took-me-20-years-to-buy-an-electric-typewriter-because-i-was/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [“Carrie Fisher. “Stay afraid, but do it anyway.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-union/carrie-fisher-stay-afraid-but-do-it-anyway/) [Gabrielle Union](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-union/) > [I used to be afraid of my temper, but it turns out I don't really have one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoe-bell/i-used-to-be-afraid-of-my-temper-but-it-turns-out-i-don-t-really-have/) [Zoe Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoe-bell/) > [I get afraid of the dark if I'm in a great deal of dark, and I have to move around inside of that fear...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-ferris/i-get-afraid-of-the-dark-if-i-m-in-a-great-deal-of-dark-and-i-have-to/) [Emil Ferris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-ferris/) > [I am not afraid of praise, for I have practiced it on myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-am-not-afraid-of-praise-for-i-have-practiced-it-on-myself/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I'm a pretty fearless person. I'm afraid of, like, creepy men in white vans and sidewalks with no streetlights. But I'm not afraid to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josie-totah/i-m-a-pretty-fearless-person-i-m-afraid-of-like-creepy-men-in-white/) [Josie Totah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josie-totah/) > [I will support my party when they are right on an issue, but am not afraid to stand up to party bosses who are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darlene-senger/i-will-support-my-party-when-they-are-right-on-an-issue-but-am-not/) [Darlene Senger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darlene-senger/) > [Why am I so afraid to loose you,when you're not even mine?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/why-am-i-so-afraid-to-loose-you-when-you-re-not-even-mine/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I want to tell you, but I cant, becuase I'm afraid if I do you'll never treat me same the again](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cristina-orante/i-want-to-tell-you-but-i-cant-becuase-i-m-afraid-if-i-do-you-ll-never/) [Cristina Orante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cristina-orante/) > [Mistakes I've made in the past make me afraid to try new things in the future. I want to be perfect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-altucher/mistakes-i-ve-made-in-the-past-make-me-afraid-to-try-new-things-in/) [James Altucher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-altucher/) > [“Humans are naturally scared and confused beings. They not only fear the unknown, as they live fearing themselves... ☥”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-marques/humans-are-naturally-scared-and-confused-beings-they-not-only-fear/) [Luis Marques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-marques/) > [If you are too afraid of failure, you cant possibly do what needs to be done to succeed in living a fulfilling life. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/if-you-are-too-afraid-of-failure-you-cant-possibly-do-what-needs-to/) [Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/) > [We cannot be afraid of the dark that they live in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burnie-burns/we-cannot-be-afraid-of-the-dark-that-they-live-in/) [Burnie Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burnie-burns/) > [“I think the reason we're cruel sometimes is that we're afraid we're going to like something.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-berg/i-think-the-reason-we-re-cruel-sometimes-is-that-we-re-afraid-we-re/) [Elizabeth Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-berg/) > [I'm still with that feeling that I am afraid of doing the wrong thing, because somebody is going to punish me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eartha-kitt/i-m-still-with-that-feeling-that-i-am-afraid-of-doing-the-wrong-thing/) [Eartha Kitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eartha-kitt/) [Browse all 5,519 Afraid quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afraid/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I've felt afraid as a reporter many times. Sometimes it's sharp, as in a bad moment, or a bad situation; other times it's general, as in a country known for kidnapping, where you can never quite relax.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Finnegan" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-finnegan/i-ve-felt-afraid-as-a-reporter-many-times-sometimes-it-s-sharp-as-in/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Afraid" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-finnegan/i-ve-felt-afraid-as-a-reporter-many-times-sometimes-it-s-sharp-as-in/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/896/william-finnegan-21232_bad-situation_i-ve-felt-afraid-as-a-reporter-many-time_1471212.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/896/william-finnegan-21232_bad-situation_i-ve-felt-afraid-as-a-reporter-many-time_1471212.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/896/william-finnegan-21232_bad-situation_i-ve-felt-afraid-as-a-reporter-many-time_1471212.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I've felt afraid as a reporter many times. Sometimes it's sharp, as in a bad moment, or a bad situation…” — William Finnegan", "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": "William Finnegan", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-finnegan/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I've felt afraid as a reporter...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-finnegan/i-ve-felt-afraid-as-a-reporter-many-times-sometimes-it-s-sharp-as-in/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-finnegan/i-ve-felt-afraid-as-a-reporter-many-times-sometimes-it-s-sharp-as-in/#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 } } ] } ```