--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A reporter is no better than his source…" description: "\"A reporter is no better than his source of information.\" — William O. Douglas" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e8/william-o-douglas-2931_data_a-reporter-is-no-better-than-his-source_1397759.jpg" --- # A reporter is no better than his source of information. ![“A reporter is no better than his source of information.” quote by William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e8/william-o-douglas-2931_data_a-reporter-is-no-better-than-his-source_1397759.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e8/william-o-douglas-2931_data_a-reporter-is-no-better-than-his-source_1397759.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e8/william-o-douglas-2931_data_a-reporter-is-no-better-than-his-source_1397759.jpg) > “A reporter is no better than his source of information.” [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) ## 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’s credibility is tied to the reliability of their sources; no one is superior to their information. **In simple terms:** Reporters depend on source quality. Key Takeaway Vet sources to maintain journalistic integrity. Themes journalism ethics credibility Mood critical instructive Type professional ethical When to use this quote - news reporting - investigative journalism - media literacy - public trust Key Concepts source verification information reliability Questions to Reflect On - How do you handle unverified information? - What standards ensure source trustworthiness? A Different Perspective Sometimes sources are unavailable or unreliable, limiting reporting. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Data](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/data/) [Journalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journalism/) [Reporter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reporter/) [Reporters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reporters/) ## Related quotes > [“Never believe all that you hear. Always verify the original source of information.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/never-believe-all-that-you-hear-always-verify-the-original-source-of/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [“Do not believe all that you hear and see. Always check the original source of information.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/do-not-believe-all-that-you-hear-and-see-always-check-the-original/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [The critic is the only independent source of information. The rest is advertising.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauline-kael/the-critic-is-the-only-independent-source-of-information-the-rest-is/) [Pauline Kael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauline-kael/) > [The problem is that there is no reliable source of information left, no way to accumulate trusted accounts of the plusses and minuses of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-hassett/the-problem-is-that-there-is-no-reliable-source-of-information-left/) [Kevin Hassett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-hassett/) > [“Your source for information”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mpld/your-source-for-information/) Mpld > [Donald Trump has come on a lot and I think one of the hardest parts of my job is digging down beyond their talking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-bartiromo/donald-trump-has-come-on-a-lot-and-i-think-one-of-the-hardest-parts/) [Maria Bartiromo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-bartiromo/) > [I've always thought of myself as a reporter. When people ask why I don't stop writing, I say, 'Look at what's happening in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwendolyn-brooks/i-ve-always-thought-of-myself-as-a-reporter-when-people-ask-why-i-don/) [Gwendolyn Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwendolyn-brooks/) > [After nine or 10 years of being interviewed, you start wanting to team up with the reporter and get the job done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-travolta/after-nine-or-10-years-of-being-interviewed-you-start-wanting-to-team/) [John Travolta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-travolta/) > [Maybe it has something to do with being a reporter for a long time that I don't look to newspapers and television and so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-connelly/maybe-it-has-something-to-do-with-being-a-reporter-for-a-long-time/) [Michael Connelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-connelly/) > [My first film role was a reporter. It's funny, because my father was a news reporter. I always thought there was something strange about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-jacobson/my-first-film-role-was-a-reporter-it-s-funny-because-my-father-was-a/) [Peter Jacobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-jacobson/) > [I think as an investigative reporter I had tough standards, but I don't think of myself as a tough person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-abramson/i-think-as-an-investigative-reporter-i-had-tough-standards-but-i-don/) [Jill Abramson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-abramson/) > [No reporter of my generation, whatever his genius, ever really rated spats and a walking stick until he had covered both a lynching and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/no-reporter-of-my-generation-whatever-his-genius-ever-really-rated/) [H. L. 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Douglas > [The First Amendment makes confidence in the common sense of our people and in the maturity of their judgement the great postulate of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/the-first-amendment-makes-confidence-in-the-common-sense-of-our/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [Common sense often makes good law.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/common-sense-often-makes-good-law/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [Inanimate objects are sometimes parties to litigation. A ship has a legal personality, a fiction found useful for maritime purposes. The corporation sole -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/inanimate-objects-are-sometimes-parties-to-litigation-a-ship-has-a/) [William O. 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Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [I have the same confidence in the ability of our people to reject noxious literature as I have in their capacity to sort out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/i-have-the-same-confidence-in-the-ability-of-our-people-to-reject/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [The liberties of none are safe unless the liberties of all are protected.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/the-liberties-of-none-are-safe-unless-the-liberties-of-all-are/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [A function of free speech under our system of government is to invite dispute. It may indeed best serve its high purpose when it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/a-function-of-free-speech-under-our-system-of-government-is-to-invite/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [At the constitutional level where we work, 90 percent of any decision is emotional. The rational part of us supplies the reasons for supporting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/at-the-constitutional-level-where-we-work-90-percent-of-any-decision/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [To be whole and harmonious, man must also know the music of the beaches and the woods. He must find the thing of which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/to-be-whole-and-harmonious-man-must-also-know-the-music-of-the/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [Sunlight is the best disinfectant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/sunlight-is-the-best-disinfectant/) [William O. 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The key is in determining whether the patterns represent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nate-silver/finding-patterns-is-easy-in-any-kind-of-data-rich-environment-that-s/) [Nate Silver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nate-silver/) > [ \[Brazil\] went to the UN and said, "We need new standards for this." We need to take a look at what they're calling "data… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/brazil-went-to-the-un-and-said-we-need-new-standards-for-this-we-need/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [We're living in a technological world. You cannot tell me we can't do a better job getting that information.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/we-re-living-in-a-technological-world-you-cannot-tell-me-we-can-t-do/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [Web users ultimately want to get at data quickly and easily. 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