The Diederich College of Communication and the O'Brien Fellowship in Public Service Journalism are pleased to welcome Steve Berta, investigations editor of the Indianapolis Star, as the 2018 Burleigh Media Ethics lecturer.

Exposing Larry Nassar

Over the course of its series, the Indianapolis Star revealed that 368 gymnasts had claimed sexual abuse over two decades while USA Gymnastics turned a blind eye.

During the lecture, Mr. Berta will explain how reporters uncovered the Larry Nassar / USA Gymnastics scandal, the ethical dilemmas the journalists faced and what we now know about the depth of the abuse.

Ultimately, the newspaper held officials accountable and fueled an outpouring of testimony against the now-imprisoned USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar, thanks to the victims, parents and witnesses who had the courage to tell their stories.

Steve Berta, along with his colleagues Marisa Kwiatkowski, Mark Alesia and Tim Evans, who worked together on the “Out of Balance” series for the IndyStar, won the annual O’Brien Fellowship Award for Impact in Public Service Journalism, which recognizes public service reporting that helps solve community or societal issues, leading to change. The series also won the Tom Renner Award from Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE).

The Burleigh Media Ethics Lecture is free and open to the public. Due to space limitations, registration is requested. Please visit our Eventbrite page to reserve your spot today.