Renita Coleman
Photo by Michael Muller
Assistant Professor
Contact Information:
CMA 7.248
512-471-1969
renitac@mail.utexas.edu
Curriculum Vitae
Renita Coleman has a B.A. in journalism from the University of Florida, a M.S. and Ph.D. in journalism from the University of Missouri.
Her research focuses mainly on visual communication and ethics. She has studied the effects of photographs on ethical reasoning, the role of images in agenda setting, and the moral development of journalists and public relations practitioners, among other topics. She has published more than 21 peer reviewed articles in academic journals including Journal of Communication, Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media, Journal of Mass Media Ethics, Visual Communication Quarterly, Newspaper Research Journal, Journalism, and Journalism Studies. She has a book, published in 2005 with co-author with Lee Wilkins of the University of Missouri, titled “The Moral Media: How Journalists Reason About Ethics.”
Before beginning her academic career, Coleman was a journalist at newspapers and magazines for 15 years. She was a reporter, editor, and designer at the Raleigh, N.C. News & Observer, the Sarasota FL Herald-Tribune, and the Orlando, FL Sentinel.
Coleman teaches courses in ethics, visual communication, and theory.
Recent courses: J349T/J395 Ethics, J363 Mass Communication Theory, J380V Visual Communication, J363 Visual Design, and J395 Proseminar in Journalism.