Faculty & Staff

My areas of specialization are: (1) publication editing and design; (2) First Amendment law (3) general media law; (4) media ethics; (5) media education; and (6) sports writing. My scholarly interests include: access to information by the college press; freedom of the high school press; curriculum, instruction and program structure; media ethics and responsibility; media bias and stereotypes; and media and politics.

As professor teaching journalism, I'm on my second career. My first was as a reporter and editor for 14 years at the Charleston Daily Mail in West Virginia, the Nashville Banner in Tennessee, and The Associated Press. I earned my Ph.D. from the University of Tennessee College of Communications, and I've been teaching at Missouri State since 1995. My research interest is the broad area of media law and freedom of expression and the more narrow topic of student press law. I've also published research into how the media "frame" discussion of important issues.

Dr. Buzzard is internationally recognized for her seminal scholarship in the area of ratings history and practice. Her books, Chains of Gold: Marketing the Ratings and Rating the Markets (Scarecrow Press, 1990) and Electronic Media Ratings: Turning Audiences into Dollars and Sense (Focal Press, 1992), have resulted in solicitation by scholars, industry professionals, journalists, and business startups for her expertise in the ratings industry.

Weiyan Wang comes to Missouri State University's Department of Media, Journalism & Film with 7 years teaching experience at Beijing Film Academy, one of the most prestigious film schools in the world, with an emphasis in Film/Video post-production and theory. Wang participated in feature film productions of "City Paradise", "In Expectation", and "Being with You till Dawn" as Film Editor or Sound Designer, and in many other TV dramas and documentaries.

Jack Dimond has served as adviser to the Standard, Missouri State University’s student-run newspaper, since August 2005. He also teaches in the Department of Media, Journalism and Film. He worked for five years as a reporter, copy editor and page designer for The Morning Sun in Pittsburg, Kan., a 10,000-circulation daily newspaper. His beats included local business, city government in both Pittsburg and Frontenac, Kan., and Frontenac schools.

Diana Botsford's degrees include Screenwriting & Producing from Boston University, and Creative Writing from Seton Hill University.  Prior to joining Missouri State University, she spent 12 years in Los Angeles in the television and film industry, followed by 5 years developing streaming media content and community-driven websites for Microsoft.

I have seen a lot of changes since I began working full-time on the Springfield campus in October 1978. My first job was in the Records Office. One year later, I was promoted to an Admissions Evaluator in the Admissions Office where I worked processing applications for admission to the university until 2001. Then, I joined the staff of the Communication and Mass Media Department as an Administrative Secretary. Six months later when the Communication and Mass Media department split into two departments, I became the Administrative Secretary for the Media, Journalism, and Film Department.

Having recently earned my MFA in Sound Design for Theater, I am very excited to be back at my alma mater. I hope to contribute to our top notch media program a strong foundation in Sound Theory. Mine is a deeply philisophical view of sound grounded in practical aplication. My thesis work focuses on the search for a unique radio art form. To this end I am developing a
Comprehensive History of Radio Art and a more sweeping Survey on the History of Audio Art. I'd love to see a Sound Art Studio blossom in our department and am actively cultivating it.