Newspapers are the second hand of history. This hand, however, is usually not only of inferior metal to the other hands, it also seldom works properly.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Newspapers are secondary accounts of history, often made of inferior material and frequently malfunctioning.
- In plain terms
- Newspapers give a poor, unreliable second‑hand view of history.
- What can you take from it?
- Treat news with caution and verify facts.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How do you assess a source’s reliability?
- What alternatives to newspapers do you trust?
Another view
Not all newspapers are low quality; some are reputable.
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