December 1, 2011, Greencastle, Ind. — A USA Today article on Republican presidential hopeful Herman Cain notes,"It's not unusual for candidates to get positive coverage followed by sometimes unflattering scrutiny, says media ethics professor Bob Steele, at DePauw University in Greencastle, Ind." Martha T. Moore writes, "Political news media, which made much of Cain's emergence as a conservative favorite, have now shown him the door," with some reporters calling Cain's candidacy "dead" amid allegations of sexual harassment and an extramarital affair.
Dr. Steele, Phyllis W. Nicholas Director of DePauw's Janet Prindle Institute for Ethics, tells the newspaper, "His may have been one of the most demonstrative, because he got so little coverage early on and was in fact dismissed" as a candidate with little chance of success.
Access the full story -- "News media gives up on Cain campaign" -- at USA Today's website.
A 1969 graduate of DePauw, Robert M. Steele also serves as Distinguished Professor of Journalism Ethics. He is one of America's leading experts on media ethics and is regularly quoted in news stories, including a citation last week in the Cleveland Plain Dealer. The professor has been named a Fellow of the Society of Professional Journalists, the highest honor SPJ bestows upon a journalist for extraordinary contributions to the profession.