Media Challenged by Coverage of Race Relations, Retired Prof. Bob Steele '69 Observes

December 7, 2014

When it comes to issues such as race relations, "The media’s responsibility to provide comprehensive coverage is vital, especially today when social media and the internet have given the public more control over the news they consume, said Bob Steele, a retired media ethicist who taught at DePauw University in Indiana and the Poynter Institute for Media Studies in Tampa, Fla.," notes a story published in Boise Weekly.

Jessica Mendoza writes, "Increasingly, individuals can limit their news consumption to content that validates instead of challenges their own beliefs. Such behavior, Steele said, 'feeds our own ideological beliefs and in some cases, feeds stereotypes and bigotry' -- an obstacle to the progress and learning that good journalism is supposed to cultivate. Part of the responsibility rests with the public to seek out multiple and diverse sources of information, Steele said. But a great deal of it rests with the media, he noted, which should be at the forefront of discussions toward improving issues like race relations."

Dr. Steele, who served as director of DePauw's Janet Prindle Institute for Ethics and is a 1969 graduate of the University, states, "We need to step back with a fair, critical eye to find out where we fall short."

Later, the article notes, "Diversifying newsrooms -- hiring people of all colors, cultures, ages, genders and socio-economic backgrounds -- is another important step, Steele said. The demographics of journalism have not kept pace with the increasingly diverse demographics of the American public, which means that newsrooms are not doing a good job representing the perspectives of their audience. An older white male, Steele said, is less likely to understand the forms of expression of a a younger African-American or Latino than someone from a similar ethnic background."

Access the complete piece at the weekly newspaper's website.

A 1969 graduate of DePauw, Robert M. Steele retired from the University at the conclusion of the 2013-14 academic year.  He is one of America's leading experts on media ethics and has been called a "journalism treasure" by Steve Buttry of the American Press Institute. In 2010 the professor was named a Fellow of the Society of Professional Journalists, the highest honor SPJ bestows upon a journalist for extraordinary contributions to the profession.

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