Four Times as Many Journalists Call Themselves Democrats Rather Than Republicans
Katrina Trinko /
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Journalists may pride themselves on keeping their views out of their writing, but when it comes to the ballot box, significantly more identify as Democrats than Republicans.
According to a study released this month by Indiana University’s School of Journalism, 28 percent of full-time journalists identify as Democrats, while a mere 7 percent call themselves Republicans.
One number that might surprise Americans: Half of journalists identify as politically independent. Yet according to a 2013 Gallup poll, 46 percent of Americans see the media as too liberal, while only 13 percent see it as too conservative.
The percentage of Republicans in journalism doesn’t mirror the nation’s political landscape. In an April Gallup poll, 25 percent of Americans labelled themselves as Republicans, while 29 percent identified as Democrats.
In 2002, the last time the study was conducted, 18 percent of journalists identified as Republicans and 36 percent as Democrats. A third called themselves independents.
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