Renita Coleman has a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Florida, a master's and Ph.D. in journalism from the University of Missouri. Her research focuses on ethics, framing and agenda setting with a special focus on visual communication. She has studied the effects of photographs on ethical reasoning, the framing and attribution of responsibility in health news, and the moral development of journalists and public relations practitioners, among other topics. She has published more than 40 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, Journalism, and Journalism Studies. She has two co-authored books, "Image and Emotion In Voter Decisions: The Affect Agenda," in 2015, and "The Moral Media: How Journalists Reason About Ethics" in 2005. 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 among other news organizations. Coleman teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in ethics, lifestyle journalism, and experimental design.
