Ten Quotes on Journalism

"Live, from Washington D.C."

According to the American Press Institute, "Journalism is the activity of gathering, assessing, creating, and presenting news and information. It is also the product of these activities.

"Journalism can be distinguished from other activities and products by certain identifiable characteristics and practices. These elements not only separate journalism from other forms of communication, they are what make it indispensable to democratic societies. History reveals that the more democratic a society, the more news and information it tends to have."

What follows are a mashup of quotes and observations about journalism and the press that captured my attention. I saw some of these at the Newseum in Washington mid-April. I like quotes and decided to share a few here.

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"The press doesn't tell us what to think, it tells us what to think about." --Walter Lippmann

"Journalism is the rough draft of history." --Philip Graham, publisher, Washington Post

"I always thought it was the business of Time to make enemies – and of Life to make friends." --Henry Luce, publisher, 1960

"Freedom of the press is guaranteed only to those who own one." --A.J. Liebling, writer and media critic, 1960

As of three weeks ago... still there.

"Justice must be done, the truth must be told. I will not be silent." --Frederick Douglass, abolitionist, wrtier and statesman, 1847

"The first casualty when war comes is truth." --Hiram Johnson, U.S. senator, 1917

"Let the people know the facts and the country will be safe." --Abraham Lincoln

"Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost." --Thomas Jefferson

“I became a journalist to come as close as possible to the heart of the world.” — Henry Luce

"When all think alike, no one is thinking." --Walter Lippman

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Alas, let's get on with our week. Make the most of it.