Here are some inspiring quotes from giants of the media field to give you the inspiration to get through the semester or maybe apply for that media dream job.
"I still believe that if your aim is to change the world, journalism is a more immediate short-term weapon." - Tom Stoppard
Tom Stoppard is a Czech-born British playwright and screenwriter, The Daily Telegraph ranked him 11 in their list of the "100 most powerful people in British culture." Stoppard fled Nazi occupation in Czechoslovakia as a child and settled in England in 1946. Before becoming a playwright, Stoppard worked as a journalist in Bristol. It was through writing about arts and culture that Stoppard found the world of theater. Stoppard wrote many successful plays and went on to co-write the screenplay for "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade," although he was uncredited.
It goes to show, you don't know where a career in journalism will take you.
"In America, the president reigns for four years, and journalism governs forever and ever." - Oscar Wilde
Journalism has been referred to as the fourth estate; our democracy depends on an independent press to hold officials accountable. Irish writer Oscar Wilde knew this when he uttered the above phrase.
Wilde worked as a journalist and reviewer for an evening paper in London called The Pall Mall Gazette, from 1885-1987. He’s remembered for his novel, "The Picture of Dorian Gray," and his play, "The Importance of Being Earnest." Like many great writers, he got his start in journalism.
"Journalism allows its readers to witness history; fiction gives its readers an opportunity to live it." - John Hersey
Have you ever gotten lost in a highly literary article in The New Yorker or Rolling Stone? You might have John Hersey to thank. He helped pioneer a style of writing known as “new journalism,” which takes techniques from fiction storytelling and applies them to journalism.
Journalism is an ever-shifting and changing field and a good journalist isn’t afraid to break the rules and see what happens. It’s how we move forward.
"The history of public relations is...a history of a battle for what is reality and how people will see and understand reality." - Stuart Ewen
Stuart Ewen is a historian and media expert based in New York. He’s written many books including, "PR!: A Social History of Spin."
"PR is a mix of journalism, psychology and lawyering - it's an ever-changing and always interesting landscape." - Ronn Torossian
Torossian the 42-year-old founder of New York City-based 5W Public Relations. He was dubbed one of Advertising Age’s “40 under 40” in 2006 and he wrote "For Immediate Release: Shape Minds, Build Brands, and Deliver Results with Game-Changing Public Relations."
" Public relations specialists make flower arrangements of the facts, placing them so the wilted and less attractive petals are hidden by sturdy blossoms." - Alan Harrington
Harrington was an American novelist who worked in public relations and journalism from 1946 to 1960. Harrington was known for his dark humor and social critiques. He counted writers Jack Kerouac and Alan Ginsberg as friends.
"There are three responses to a piece of design - yes, no and wow! Wow is the one to aim for." - Milton Glaser
American designer Milton Glaser is best known for his “I Heart New York” logo, now an iconic meme, and the psychedelic Bob Dylan poster. Glaser is one of the most influential designers of the past several decades.
"It's through mistakes that you actually can grow. You have to get bad in order to get good." - Paula Scher
Paula Scher is an American designer, educator and artist. She was the first female principal at Pentagram, a prominent London design firm.
"I want to make beautiful things, even if nobody cares, as opposed to ugly things. That's my intent." - Saul Bass
You might not know it, but you’ve seen Saul Bass‘s work or at least something inspired by him. He designed dozens of movie title sequences and encouraged a new generation of film makers to consider the opening credits as useful storytelling real estate, instead of just popcorn time. He designed the AT&T and Girl Scouts logos and was a master of minimalism and symbolism.
