Appendix I: Moral and journalism values questionnaires

Moral Foundations Theory Questionnaire

This survey used a battery of questions often used in academic studies to assess respondents’ inclinations toward values in Moral Foundations Theory. Below is the specific set of questions we used to create variables for the moral foundation values in this study: care, fairness, loyalty, authority, and purity.

MFT1. WHEN YOU DECIDE WHETHER SOMETHING IS RIGHT OR WRONG, TO WHAT EXTENT ARE THE FOLLOWING CONSIDERATIONS RELEVANT TO YOUR THINKING?

RANDOMIZED ITEMS:

1. Whether or not someone suffered emotionally
2. Whether or not some people were treated differently than others
3. Whether or not someone’s action showed love for his or her country
4. Whether or not someone showed a lack of respect for authority
5. Whether or not someone violated standards of purity and decency
6. Whether or not someone was good at math
7. Whether or not someone cared for someone weak or vulnerable
8. Whether or not someone acted unfairly
9. Whether or not someone did something to betray his or her group
10. Whether or not someone conformed to the traditions of society
11. Whether or not someone did something disgusting

RESPONSE OPTIONS

1. Not at all relevant (This consideration has nothing to do with my judgments of right and wrong)
2. Not very relevant
3. Slightly relevant
4. Somewhat relevant
5. Very relevant
6. Extremely relevant (This is one of the most important factors when I judge right and wrong)

MFT2. PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING SENTENCES AND INDICATE YOUR AGREEMENT OR DISAGREEMENT:

RANDOMIZED ITEMS:

1. Compassion for those who are suffering is the most crucial virtue.
2. When the government makes laws, the number one principle should be ensuring that everyone is treated fairly.
3. I am proud of my country’s history.
4. Respect for authority is something all children need to learn.
5. People should not do things that are disgusting, even if no one is harmed.
6. It is better to do good than to do bad.
7. One of the worst things a person could do is hurt a defenseless animal.
8. Justice is the most important requirement for a society.
9. People should be loyal to their family members, even when they have done something wrong.
10. Men and women each have different roles to play in society.
11. I would call some acts wrong on the grounds that they are unnatural.

RESPONSE OPTIONS

1. Strongly disagree
2. Moderately disagree
3. Slightly disagree
4. Slightly agree
5. Moderately agree
6. Strongly agree

Journalism values questionnaire

The research team identified five basic core journalism values based on input from a small, diverse group of journalists currently in or helping news organizations. Below is the set of questions used to create the variables for the journalism values: oversight, transparency, factualism, giving voice to the less powerful, and social criticism.

JVALUE. Please read the following sentences and indicate your agreement or disagreement:

RANDOMIZED ITEMS:

1. The powerful need to be monitored or they will be inclined to abuse their power
2. It’s important to put some trust in authority figures so they can do their jobs
3. It’s vital that the public know what government leaders are doing and saying each day
4. Leaders need to be able to do some things behind closed doors to fulfill their duties
5. The more facts people have, the more likely it is they will get to the truth
6. A lot of the time you know enough about something and more facts don’t help
7. For most things, knowing what’s true is a matter of gathering evidence and proof
8. For a lot of things that matter, facts only get you so far
9. A society should be judged by how it treats its least fortunate
10. Sometimes favoring the least fortunate doesn’t actually help them
11. It’s important to offer a voice to the voiceless
12. Inequalities will always exist and you can’t eliminate them
13. We need to put a spotlight on problems in society in order to solve them
14. Too much focus on what’s wrong can make things worse
15. The way to make a society stronger is through criticizing what’s wrong
16. The way to make a society stronger is through celebrating what’s right
17. On balance, it’s usually better for the public to know than for things to be kept secret
18. Sometimes the need to keep a secret outweighs the public’s right to know
19. Transparency is usually the best cure for what’s wrong in the world
20. Most problems can be addressed without putting embarrassing facts out in the open

RESPONSE OPTIONS

1. Strongly disagree
2. Moderately disagree
3. Slightly disagree
4. Slightly agree
5. Moderately agree
6. Strongly agree