Journalists are ruthless, liberal Democrats who earn too much money and have little, if any, ethics. Right?
You decide, based on the results of a study by David Warner and G. Cleveland Wilhoit, professors at Indiana University. The study, funded by The Freedom Forum, a journalism think tank, was released at the recent national convention of the Society of Professional Journalists.
The survey of 1,410 U.S. journalists produced the ”typical” American journalist in the 1990s: a married (60 percent), white (92 percent), Protestant (54 percent), male (66 percent), who works for a daily newspaper
(55 percent) and earns $31,297 a year (median).
That typical journalist also:
– Is probably either a Democrat (44 percent) or an Independent (34.4 percent).
– Thinks his news organization does a very good job keeping the public informed (50.4 percent).
– Is less satisfied with his job than his counterpart in 1971, the first time the survey was done.
– Entered journalism to help people (61 percent).
– Says using confidential business or government documents without authorization may be justified (81 percent).
– Cannot justify paying for confidential information or claiming to be someone else, but would use a hidden microphone or camera in newsgathering (63 percent).
