Dr. Brian L. Ott

Department

Communication, Media, Journalism and Film

Role: Faculty
Campus: Springfield

Postal mail

Missouri State University
Communication, Media, Journalism and Film
901 S. National Ave.
Springfield, MO 65897

Biography

Dr. Brian Ott is a professor of communication at Missouri State University. His chief research interest concerns the intersection of rhetoric and media, and how evolving communication technologies alter the form and character of public discourse. He regularly publishes about political communication, social media and fake news.

He has been interviewed by The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, the Associated Press and Politico among others. His op-eds have appeared in outlets, such as USA Today, Newsweek, Salon and The Hill. Ott is a former president of the Western States Communication Association and a former editor of the Western Journal of Communication.

Details

Education

  • PhD, Speech Communication, 1997, The Pennsylvania State University
  • MA, Speech Communication, 1993, The Pennsylvania State University
  • BA, Communication, 1991, George Mason University

Teaching

  • Communication and Popular Culture
  • Media, Technology and Society
  • Rhetorical Criticism

Research and professional interests

  • Rhetorical criticism
  • Rhetorical theory
  • Communication and popular culture
  • Media, technology and society
  • Critical media studies
  • Film criticism

Selected publications:

  • Ott, B. L., & Mack, R. L. (2020). Critical media studies: An introduction (3rd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley-Blackwell. 419 pp.
  • Ott, B. L., & Dickinson, G. (2020). The Twitter presidency: How Donald Trump’s tweets undermine democracy and threaten us all. Political Science Quarterly, 135(4): 607-636. doi: 10.1002/polq.13129
  • Ott, B. L., & Dickinson, G. (2019). The Twitter presidency: Donald J. Trump and the politics of white rage (NCA Focus on Communication Studies). New York: Routledge. 122 pp. doi: 10.4324/9780429054259
  • Ott, B. L., & Dickinson, G. (2019). Redefining rhetoric: Why matter matters. Berlin Journal of Critical Theory, 3(1), 45-81.
  • Ott, B. L. (2017). The age of Twitter: Donald J. Trump and the politics of debasement. Critical Studies in Media Communication, 34(1), 59-68. doi: 10.1080/15295036.2016.1266686
  • Dickinson, G., Blair, C., & Ott, B. L. (Eds.). (2010). Places of public memory: The rhetoric of museums and memorials. Tuscaloosa, AL: University of Alabama Press. 282 pp.

Awards and honors

  • Top Four Paper, Media Studies Interest Group, Western States Communication Association, 2019
  • Mortar Board Apple Polishing, Mortar Board Forum Chapter, Texas Tech University, 2018
  • Top Paper, Rhetoric and Public Address Interest Group, Western States Communication Association, 2015
  • Wrage-Baskerville Award, Public Address Division, National Communication Association, 2014
  • Golden Anniversary Monograph Award, National Communication Association, 2012
  • Top Four Paper, Rhetoric and Public Address Interest Group, Western States Communication Association, 2008
  • Top Four Paper, Media Studies Interest Group, Western States Communication Association, 2007
  • Award for Excellence in Visual Communication Research, Visual Communication Division, National Communication Association, 2006
  • Lambda Pi Eta Excellence in Teaching Award, Department of Communication Studies, Colorado State University, 2006
  • Diane Furno-Lamude Award, Media Studies Interest Group, Western States Communication Association, 2005
  • Outstanding Article Award, Critical & Cultural Studies Division, National Communication Association, 2003
  • 2nd Best Professor on Campus, voted by readers of The Collegian: Best of CSU (10/28/03), Colorado State University, 2003
  • Top Four Paper, Media Studies Interest Group, Western States Communication Association, 2003
  • Outstanding Communication Alumnus, Department of Communication, George Mason University, 2001
  • Top Competitive Paper, Media Studies Interest Group, Western States Communication Association, 2000

Area of expertise

Media and film Communication

Media appearances

This week’s cellphone outage makes it clear: In the United States, landlines are languishing
The Associated Press
02/23/2024
Communication expert Dr. Brian Ott comments on the decline of landlines phones.

Biden shied away from news conferences, interviews in Year 1
Associated Press
01/09/2022
Communication expert Dr. Brian Ott addresses the scarcity of President Biden news conferences and interviews with mainstream news media.

After making history, Citizen Trump will regain power to block Twitter followers
The Washington Times
01/03/2021
Communication expert Dr. Brian Ott comments on President Trump's Twitter use.

Twitter Under Pressure Over 'Double Standards' After Donald Trump, MAGA Crackdown
Newsweek
01/15/2021
Communication expert Dr. Brian Ott addresses Twitter's decision to ban President Trump from its platform.