Opinion surveys show journalists in the United States tend to identify on the liberal side of the political spectrum. The East Coast elite media have the most liberal journalists among their ranks, while local reporters in the middle of the country—particularly in television news—tend to be more centrist in their views. This study examines whether these liberal leanings are innate to those who seek to enter the field of journalism, or if journalism education in itself moves the political identities of those who study it to the left. Does as a master’s thesis for a master of arts degree in political science, this original research shows liberals are naturally drawn to journalism and it’s role in questioning the status quo, while journalism education does not measurably change the ideology of those who experience it.