Deni Elliott is Project Co-Director for the National Ethics Project. She is professor emeritus in the Department of Journalism and Digital Communication at the University of South Florida. Deni held the endowed Eleanor Poynter Jamison Chair in Media Ethics and Press Policy at USF from 2003-2023. Within her two decades at USF she also served as Interim Regional Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs (2021-2022) department chair (2012-2018), and campus ombuds (2004-2017). She is a subject matter expert for the National Center on Disability and Journalism.
Prior academic appointments include University of Montana: Mansfield Professor of Ethics and Public Affairs (1992-1996), University Professor of Ethics (1996-2004), Professor of Philosophy (1992-2004), and Founding Director, Practical Ethics Center (1996-2004); Dartmouth College: Director, Ethics Institute (1988-1992), Adjunct Associate Professor, Department of Philosophy (1988-1992) and Associate Research Professor, Department of Education (1988-1992). Deni’s first tenure-track and tenured appointment was in Utah State University’s Department of Mass Communication (1984-1988). Deni served as Ethics Officer for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (2004-2012).
Dr. Elliott is the author of more than 200 articles and book chapters for the scholarly, trade and lay press. She is author, co-author, editor or co-editor of 11 books including CATCHING SIGHT: How a guide dog helped me see myself (Beacon Press, 2026); Ethics for a Digital Era (Wiley/Blackwell, 2018); Ethical Challenges: Building an Ethics Toolkit (Authorhouse, 2009); Ethics in the First Person, A Guide to Teaching and Learning Practical Ethics (Rowman & Littlefield, 2007), The Kindness of Strangers, Philanthropy in Higher Education (Rowman & Littlefield, 2006), Contemporary Issues: Journalism (ABC-CLIO, 1998), Ethics of Scientific Research, A Guidebook for Course Development, (UPNE, 1997), Research Ethics: A Reader, (UPNE, 1997); The Ethics of Asking: Dilemmas in Higher Education Fundraising, (Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996), Parts and Parity: Ethics and Organ Transplantation (Institute for Study of Applied and Professional Ethics, 1995) and Responsible Journalism (SAGE, 1986). She has co-produced three documentaries: The Burden of Knowledge, on ethical questions of pre-natal testing, and A Case of Need and Buying Time, which both address ethical issues raised by news media coverage of medical and financial need. The documentaries are distributed by Fanlight Productions. Dr. Elliott wrote and co-hosted Ethically Speaking, a weekly 2-minute radio show for Montana Public Radio with some shows syndicated through PRX (Public Radio Exchange) 2003-2006.
Dr. Elliott has a B.A. in Communication from University of Maryland, M.A. in Philosophy from Wayne State University and an Ed.D. in Philosophy of Education from Harvard University that included work through Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, Department of Philosophy, Law School and Graduate School of Education. Professors Sissela Bok, Lawrence Kohlberg, Martin Linsky, and Israel Scheffler served as her doctoral examination committee members and mentors.