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Journalists Primed: How Professional Identity Affects Moral Decision Making |
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| Authors: | Patrick Ferrucci Edson C Tandoc Jr Erin E Schauster |
| Institution: | 1. Department of Journalism, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA patrick.ferrucci@colorado.edu![ORCID Icon]({"type":"image","src":"/templates/jsp/images/orcid.png"} "ORCID Icon") https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4535-0210;3. Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8740-9313;4. Department of Advertising, Public Relations and Design, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA |
| Abstract: | ABSTRACT This study examines whether professional journalists reason differently about moral problems when primed with their professional identity. This between-subjects experiment (N?=?171) used the Defining Issues Test, a much-used and validated instrument that measures moral reasoning. The results show identity priming does not affect how journalists apply ethics. The study also found that journalists score far lower in moral reasoning than they did 13 years ago. These results are interpreted through the lens of social identity theory. |
| Keywords: | Journalism identity priming ethics experiment moral development |