Risk Propensity in Journalists

Much like first responders, journalists run toward dangerous scenes instead of away from them, often putting themselves at risk. Unlike first responders, there is no research on how a person's risk propensity ties to their career. To gauge if need correlates with risk, as Risk Sensitivity Theory suggests, reporters of various ages and tenures were surveyed on their sensation-seeking levels and propensity to engage in risky behaviors while on the job. According to the results, journalism risk propensity correlated positively with sensation seeking. Risk motivations increase with age and tenure, meaning that older and more experienced journalists are more likely to engage in risky behavior. Males are more risk-prone than females. The research, which was conducted among journalists in the southeastern United States, indicates that hurricane news coverage yields the most positive correlations with sensation seeking, age, and tenure.