Dr. Doug Swanson is an accredited public relations practitioner, teacher, and consultant. He earned his doctorate at Oklahoma State University, and Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Eastern New Mexico University. He began his professional career as a radio announcer, although his first media job at age 11 involved delivering newspapers and selling subscriptions. He has worked in a number of capacities for radio stations, newspapers, and in TV news. He has worked in a public relations firm, and as an independent public relations consultant. He began teaching at the college level in 1990. Dr. Swanson has published numerous absorbing but mostly unnoticed journal articles and presented a variety of fascinating but sparsely attended conference presentations – all of which live in posterity on the Internet. He is the author of several eloquent chapters in dusty back shelf books on issues related to the media and media professions. He is not the Doug Swanson, famous professional bicyclist or Doug Swanson, the detective novel writer, and sadly, he receives no royalties from their work. Skilled in diverse trades, he is a ‘has been’ truck driver, door-to-door salesman, store clerk, janitor, and seasoned paddlewheel steamboat deckhand/ waiter. An avid traveler, he has visited all 50 states, many of them in an overloaded RV. A thrill seeker, he has ridden in a hot air balloon and been chased by a tornado (on different occasions). A social misfit, he does not have a Facebook account, nor does he want one. He is immensely proud of his wife, and his adult children who serve their nation in vastly different but important careers. He is protective of his Boston Terrier, and over-indulgent of his charming and intelligent granddaughter. He believes, as Art Buchwald once said, “the best things in life aren’t things.” He also agrees with Buddha’s observation that “it is more important to travel well than to arrive.”
Academic/ Scholarly Articles
Prevalence and Success of Reverse Mentoring in Public Relations (with Betsy A. Hays M.A. APR), Public Relations Journal (2011)
The article by professors Hays and Swanson points out the public relations workplace is changing...
Research spotlight: Peer-to-peer mentoring works in the college newsroom, College Media Review/ Peer-Reviewed Research (2011)
The positive impacts of workplace mentoring have been observed in the professional world and extensively...
The Student-Run Public Relations Firm in an Undergraduate Program: Reaching Learning and Professional Development Goals Through ‘Real World’ Experience, Public Relations Review (2011)
A student-run public relations firm can offer a variety of benefits for an undergraduate program...
Preaching, Prosperity, and Product Sales: A Profile of On-Demand Digital Audio Offerings of Christian Renewalist Ministries, International Journal of Listening (2010)
In the United States alone, millions of listeners tune in to Internet-based audio-on-demand (commonly known...
"Health and Wealth" and the World Wide Web: Leading renewalist ministries' use of Web to communicate social order, The Social Science Journal (2008)
Renewalist Christian ministries espouse a “Health andWealth” theology that is embraced by increasing numbers of...
Academic Conference Proceedings
Show Me, Help Me, Tell Me, Sell Me: Leading Christian Renewalist Ministries' Use of the World Wide Web for Evangelizing, Fundraising, and Merchandising, The 50th Annual Conference of the Western Social Science Association: Denver, CO (2008)
This research is an analysis of visual, operational, informational, fundraising, and merchandising content of World...
La Crosse, the River, Denial: A College Town Struggles to Frame Responsibility for River Drowning Deaths, Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication Mid-Winter Conference: Reno, NV (2007)
Twenty-four college-aged men have drowned in the Mississippi River near La Crosse, Wisconsin, since 1974....
Creating a Culture of "Engagement" With Academic Advising: Challenges and Opportunities for Today's Higher Education Institutions, The 48th Annual Conference of the Western Social Science Association: Phoenix, AZ (2006)
Effective academic advising is recognized as key to college student success and academic retention (Pascarella...
Tragic Accidents or Mysterious Murders?: A College Town Struggles to Frame Responsibility For River Drowning Deaths, The 48th Annual Conference of the Western Social Science Association: Phoenix, AZ (2006)
This paper focuses on an ongoing debate in La Crosse, Wisconsin, over recent river drowning...
'Neither Cold nor Hot': An Analysis of Christian World Wide Web Sites That Address GLBT Publics, Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication Annual Meeting, Toronto, Canada (2004)
This research analyzes Christian Web sites addressing gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgendered public. The study...
Popular Press
The Final Countdown to Y2K: Is Your Small Business Ready?, Water Conditioning & Purification (1999)
Spring Mall and Home Shows: Finding Your Competitive Edge at Smaller Retailer Events, Water Conditioning & Purification (1999)
Professional Development Seminars: Scouting Out Your Best Opportunities, Water Conditioning & Purification (1997)
Planning + Execution + Follow-Up = Great Trade Show Performance, Water Conditioning & Purification (1997)
Book Reviews
Unpublished Papers
Crisis Communication, Government/ Media Cooperation, and U.S. Military Public Affairs (2011)
This was the PowerPoint presentation that accompanied my remarks made to the Delegation of The...
Marketing/ Communications Campaign Action Plan, Presentation to the California Medical Association/ California Medical Society Membership Summit, Irvine, CA (2011)
Effective communication is about relationships more so than it is about “getting the word out...