October 9, 2018
MILWAUKEE 鈥� Steve Berta, investigations editor at the Indianapolis Star, will deliver "Exposing Larry Nassar" at the 2018 Burleigh Media Ethics Lecture on Thursday, Oct. 11, at 4 p.m. in the Alumni Memorial Union Monaghan Ballroom, 1442 W. Wisconsin Ave.
Berta, along with his colleagues Marisa Kwiatkowski, Mark Alesia and Tim Evans, worked together on the Star's "Out of Balance" series, which revealed that 368 gymnasts had claimed sexual abuse by team doctor Larry Nassar over two decades while USA Gymnastics turned a blind eye. The newspaper held officials accountable and fueled an outpouring of testimony against the now-imprisoned Nassar, thanks to the victims, parents and witnesses who had the courage to tell their stories.
During the lecture, Berta will explain how reporters uncovered the abuse scandal, the ethical dilemmas the journalists faced and what is now known about the depth of the abuse.
The "Out of Balance" series 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.
The lecture is free and open to the public, and is sponsored by the O'Brien Fellowship in Public Service Journalism and the Diederich College of Communication. Due to space limitations, is requested.
