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Yes, that is the result of self-identification surveys, which is still quite a bit more "liberal" than the general population in self-identification surveys.
But just like everybody thinks they are in the middle class, most post people think they are moderate politically regardless of their actual views (I had a coworker who insisted that he was moderate but felt that Gavin Newsome is too conservative). When those who self-identify as moderate, or middle-of-the-road are asked specific policy questions they are much more likely to come down on the "liberal" side of it (significantly more likely than the general population to support homosexual marriage, availablity of abortion without restriction, and gun control, for example) than the general population.
This is from the academic, non-partisan onece-every-decade "The American Journalist" report. Self identification in the 2002 report was 40% left or a little left, 33% "middle of the road," and 25% right or a little right. That number is up slightly on the middle and right compared to 1992.
In the general population at large the same self reporting was 17%, 42%, 41%.
So even if the 80% number is wrong, reporters as a cohort are much more liberal than the population at large and this perception is exacerbated by the fact that national reporters (8 major newspapers, the broadcast and cable news channels) are in turn more likely than the average for all journalists to self identify as "left or a little bit left." Self-identified conservative journalists are much more likely to be found in local journalism than national journalism.
By party affiliation, 36% were registered Democrats and 18% were registered Republicans. In the general population it is 32%/31%.
The key thing for me in talking about media bias is that most people put the political middle whereever they themselves are standing. In studies both a majority of Democrats and a majority of Republicans complain that the media is biased and they complain in opposite directions.
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