Based on a first-order perturbation solution in a modified Reynolds number an analysis is presented to determine the effect of the fluid film inertial forces on the dynamic properties of a journal bearing. The corrections to the regular amplitude and velocity coefficients are found to be small, but the accompanying acceleration coefficients which may correspond to a virtual mass of several times the mass of the journal itself, could become significant for short rotors. Numerical results are given in graphical form with dimensionless coefficients as functions of the operating eccentricity ratio.