“Look, everybody in journalism has a reputation of sorts.”

Except for talk radio, liberals pretty much control the culture.

I don’t believe all rich people are selfless philanthropists.

I have met guys who work the overnight shift at 7-11, selling Slurpees and Camels to insomniacs who have more introspection than a lot of people in the mainstream media.

I admire Rush Limbaugh and Bill O’Reilly a lot because I think they’re standup guys.

I didn’t say one negative word about poor people or about middle-class people or anything else. All I said was that the rich deserve our gratitude.

I don’t think liberals in the media are really that much different from liberals outside the media.

The big 3 networks don’t like the fact that there’s a Rush Limbaugh out there, they don’t like the fact that there’s a Fox News, they don’t like the fact that there’s a Matt Drudge. They liked it when it was nice, when it was just the three of them. Well, it ain’t that way anymore.

As a matter of fact, you know, Jesus probably would be, except for one or two issues, a liberal Democrat if he were around today.

The evening news is a concept whose time has come and gone.

Journalists love to show their compassion.

A lot of so-called rich, according to this legislation, make $250,000. That’s a lot of money, but it is not rich.

The most meaningless term in the English language is “I take full responsibility.” When a politician utters those words it means absolutely nothing.

Circumstantial evidence is evidence.

You know, I was at CBS News for 28 years. I may have run an unidentified source. Frankly, I don’t remember.

Try to imagine an America without rich people. Rich people contribute a lot to this country.

Bill Maher fancies himself the reincarnation of Lenny Bruce.

I think journalism can come from anywhere, and comedy can certainly come from anywhere.

Fast Food Nation is witness to the rigour and seriousness of the best American journalism, readable, reliable and extremely carefully done.

I think if journalists start doing that then they won’t be practicing journalism. If satirists start doing that then they won’t be practicing satire.

I think the worst thing we can do is to concede to fanaticism its devotion, say. Well, you have to understand, these people are really fanatics, so we should back down from them.

In journalism, if there’s a hole in your story you figure out a way around it because you’ve got a 4 p.m. deadline.

Each genre has its own process. I’m very intuitive about poetry. I usually write first and second drafts out by hand. The other end of the spectrum is journalism, which is much more cerebral, more thought-out and planned.

And I know that when I worked daily journalism it really affected my patience with literature, which I think requires reflection, and a different kind of engagement.

Needless, heedless, wanton and deliberate injury of the sort inflicted by Life’s picture story is not an essential instrument of responsible journalism.