I think people are smart enough to sort it out. They know when they’re watching one of these food fight shows where journalists sit around and yell and scream at each other, versus serious issue reporting.

Woodward contrasts performative, conflict-driven television punditry (“food fight shows”) with what he regards as substantive, evidence-based journalism. The remark suggests a guarded optimism about audiences: despite the noise of partisan shouting matches, he believes viewers can distinguish spectacle from serious reporting. Implicitly, the quote defends traditional investigative standards—verification, depth, and accountability—against formats that reward outrage and speed. It also functions as a critique of media incentives that blur news and entertainment, while reaffirming a democratic premise central to Woodward’s career: that informed citizens, given credible reporting, are capable of making sound judgments.