War journalism is becoming increasingly dangerous. Journalists who define their careers by longevity in war zones have a lifetime prevalence of PTSD similar to frontline combat veterans. Local journalists can also confront grave danger, but unlike foreign correspondents, they work and live in dangerous places. They too have rates of PTSD and depression that well exceed that seen in the general population. Local journalists whose families are targeted are particularly vulnerable in this regard. Journalists who chose these dangerous career paths differ cognitively from their colleagues who have chosen less adventurous careers, most notably when it comes to decisions that entail risk. The ability to manage anxiety and fear in extreme situations may to a degree be modulated by epigenetic factors.