If a dog bites you it is not news but if you bite the dog it is news.
2006-12-22 22:01:10 · 9 answers · asked by charlotte 2 in Education & Reference ➔ Quotations
It is saying that unusual events make news, while the ordinary, even if important, may not.
2006-12-22 22:08:52 · answer #1 · answered by Walking Man 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The phrase is used to describe a phenomenon in journalism, in which an unusual, infrequent event is more likely to be reported as news than an ordinary, everyday occurrence. This can be explained by the fact that the news media generally considers an event more newsworthy if there is something unusual about that event. On the other hand, a situation which is completely normal is unlikely to be taken as newsworthy. The result is that it may seem that news items which carry titles such as "Man Bites Dog" occur more often that those which carry ones such as "Dog Bites Man". The remarkable thing is that the observation can be made even though examples of the latter occur far more frequently than the former.
The phrase comes from a quote attributed to New York Sun editor John B. Bogarts: "When a dog bites a man, that is not news, because it happens so often. But if a man bites a dog, that is news."[
2006-12-23 04:28:54 · answer #2 · answered by CanProf 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It means that dogs bite people every day, but it would be a strange occurrence for a person to bite a dog, so that would be news.
2006-12-23 01:22:13 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
What kind of guy bites a dog?
2006-12-22 22:08:19 · answer #4 · answered by Garh G 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Because to bite is an animal urge, we as humans are supposed to be above the level of animals while dogs are...well...animals :D
2006-12-22 22:09:58 · answer #5 · answered by David W 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it means that news its not just everyday stuff it needs to be very unusal to make news so other people will be interested.i like this quote its byCharles Anderson Dana in THE NEW YORK SUN OF 1882
2006-12-23 11:56:31 · answer #6 · answered by chat all you want 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If something ordinary happens, it's not very exciting, however if something out of the ordinary takes place, then it is rather exiting.
2006-12-23 02:56:30 · answer #7 · answered by the golden goose 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It means doing stuff out of the ordinary will make you stand out.
2006-12-22 22:21:18 · answer #8 · answered by Mr. Extreme!!! 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
bizarre events make better news than ordinary events
2006-12-22 22:12:28 · answer #9 · answered by yeahyeah 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋