An Examination of Print and Broadcast Journalism Students’ Personality Traits

Abstract

Journalists identify with a medium because it aligns with their interests and talents, and they may resist tasks incongruent with their perceived creative strengths. Occupational conflict arises when one’s personality does not align with expected work tasks within a role according to Holland’s theory of vocational choice. We carried out a quantitative survey of aspiring print and broadcast journalists to investigate whether they differed in personality traits (i.e., extraversion, conscientiousness, life values, and journalism degree motivations). Results show broadcast journalism students perceived themselves as more extreme on many measures including extraversion, conscientiousness, and certain life values. Broadcast students were also more likely to choose journalism as a degree for social prestige, sports, reporting, and photography reasons, whereas print students were more likely to choose writing as their primary motivation.

Moving Into the Media World: The Moral Psychology of Emerging Adults in Journalism and Communication

“…One study found that on the aforementioned Big Five dimensions of personality, journalism and strategic communication students were broadly similar, with journalism students slightly higher in Openness to Experience and slightly lower in Agreeableness (Crawford et al, 2013). Another study found that broadcast journalism students tend to be more extraverted and motivated by social status than print students (Carpenter et al, 2018).…”

“…For example, McAdams (2009) suggested that Openness to Experience is the personality trait most closely related to moral reasoning. Consequently, moral psychology studies have examined personality traits through measures such as the Big Five personality test (e.g., Carpenter et al, 2018; Crawford et al, 2013). In his study with journalism and public relations exemplars, Plaisance (2015) found these individuals scored significantly higher for Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and Openness.…”

Social capital and conflict avoidance in campus news

“…Research suggests role conceptions shape student journalists’ perceptions and practices as well. Students’ conceptions of journalists’ societal roles may help explain the choice of journalism as a major (Carpenter et al, 2018; Gaunt, 1992), and career motivations for journalism majors often include a desire to change society, suggesting early socialization to active, civic-oriented roles, beyond mere dissemination of news (Sanders et al, 2008; Splichal & Sparks, 1994). However, findings are mixed on students’ preferences for active society-oriented roles.…”

Pre-professional journalistic culture of Cuba, Ecuador and Venezuela. Motivation, expectations and professional experience of students of Journalism and Social Communication

“…Pastor (2010) highlights these positive elements in a double sense: the personal qualities suitable to practice the profession, a factor in which he agrees with Adams et al (2008), Clark and Monserrate (2011) and Fischman et al (2004), and the benefits derived from it as being creative and meeting new people (Smith, 1987). Recently, Carpenter, Hoag & Grant (2017) refer, at a general level, to the set of motivations -intrinsic and extrinsic -of students to pursue a career in journalism: social responsibility, ego, excitement, writing, photography, creativity, and social opportunities.…”