MIAMI – Nov. 28, 2011 – In the wake of the alleged child sex abuse scandal at Penn State, Knight Chair Malcolm Moran will lead a conversation with major sports journalists Tuesday about the role of reporters covering controversy.
Moran, Penn State’s Knight Chair in Sports Journalism and Society, will moderate the conversation on the most reported sports story of the year with The New York Times’ Mark Viera, USA Today’s Christine Brennan and others. The event, taking place at Penn State’s Schwab Auditorium, will be livestreamed beginning at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at http://comm.psu.edu/sports. Questions will be taken via Twitter, by tweeting @CurleyCenter and using the hashtag #PSUstory
“Our conversation will highlight the critical need for transparency in reporting or in college athletic programs,” Moran said. “Some reporters covering this story have been accused of supporting a criminal for emphasizing the presumption of innocence and the need for credible information. Student journalists have been challenged and criticized by their peers. On the panel, we’ll look at the backlash against the media, the powerful nature of high-profile college athletic programs and the importance of awareness of all forms of sexual abuse.”
Moran, an award-winning sports journalist previously with USA Today, The New York Times, and The Chicago Tribune, has written about the scandal for the New York Times. He also has been interviewed by Good Morning America, The Los Angeles Times, Fox News, Reuters, the Chicago Sun-Times and others. As the Knight Chair, Moran works with Penn State’s John Curley Center for Sports Journalism to focus on the social role of sports journalism, present and future.
“The news community is fortunate to have a resident expert right at Penn State to help think through both the journalistic and social issues raised by these horrific allegations. Being an informed and engaged community means understanding the news in all its difficult dimensions,” said Eric Newton, senior adviser to the president at Knight Foundation.
Former Penn State Assistant Football Coach Jerry Sandusky was arrested earlier this month on counts of sexually abusing young boys over 15 years. Several university officials, including Head Football Coach Joe Paterno and President Graham Spanier, lost their jobs over questions about the university’s response.
Knight Foundation has endowed 24 chairs in journalism at top universities nationwide. All leading journalists in their field, the chairs practice journalism, teach innovative classes, and create experimental projects and new programs that help lead journalism excellence in the digital age.
Moran is a resource for journalists and others seeking to understand the impact of sports on society. He can be reached at 814-865-0926 or at [email protected].
About the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
Knight Foundation supports transformational ideas that promote quality journalism, advance media innovation, engage communities and foster the arts. We believe that democracy thrives when people and communities are informed and engaged. For more, visit www.knightfoundation.org.
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Contacts:
Marc Fest, Vice President/Communications, (305) 908-2677, [email protected]