Dr. Kristie Bunton poses with copies of her latest book, “Having Their Say: Athletes and Entertainers and the Ethics of Speaking Out.”
The Bob Schieffer College of Communication celebrates Dean Kristie Bunton, Ph.D. Her 2021 book Having Their Say: Athletes and Entertainers on the Ethics of Speaking Out has been named an “Outstanding Academic Title” by Choice editors.
Choice is the publishing unit of the Association of College and Research Libraries, and is an authoritative source used by thousands of academic libraries to select titles. Each December, Choice publishes its list of Outstanding Academic Titles based on the following:
- overall excellence in presentation and scholarship
- importance relative to other literature in the field
- distinction as a first treatment of a given subject in book or electronic form
- originality or uniqueness of treatment
- value to undergraduate students
- importance in building undergraduate library collections
In 2021, Choice was sent almost 14,000 books to review, which editors narrowed down to 3,700. Of those 3,700 books, just 433 were named Outstanding Academic Titles.
Having Their Say examines famous athletes’ and entertainers’ ethical obligations over what they say and how it may affect public opinion. Written during the COVID-19 pandemic, Bunton’s book urges readers to consider the power of speaking out and the ramifications of using one’s voice on unexpected topics. Bunton teaches a course on ethics, open to all Schieffer College majors, in which students consider their ethical obligations to communicate truthfully and to speak voice to power.