Not Too Full of Themselves to Notice: How Journalists Justify Aggressive Reporting Practices

This study draws on risk theory to explore what factors predict journalists’ justification of aggressive and controversial practices, using a representative sample of New Zealand journalists gathered as part of the Worlds of Journalism study. Results show journalists’ judgments about practices are predicted by their gender, role, ethical orientation, age and commercial influences. In particular, this is the first study that shows that experience in use of these practices predicts approval or disapproval of them, as would be expected under risk theory.