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Richard E. Vatz

Curriculum Vitae: A Structured decades of Higher Education and Literary Influence.

Explore Dr. Richard E. Vatz's extensive professional credentials, teaching history, university leadership, scholarly workds, and public discourse impact.

Curriculum Vitae by Category

CAREER IN HIGHER EDUCATION

  • Ph.D. University of Pittsburgh, Rhetoric and Communication, 1976

  • M.A. University of Pittsburgh, Rhetoric and Communication, 1970

  • B.A. University of Pittsburgh, Sociology, 1969 (MAGNA CUM LAUDE)

  • Full Professor, Towson State University 1989-January 1, 2023 Retirement; Professor Emeritus

  • Associate Professor, Towson State University 1982-1989

  • Assistant Professor, Towson State University 1974-1982

  • Instructor, North Carolina State University 1973-1974

  • Instructor, Penn State (McKeesport Campus) 1969-1973

  • Towson Student Government Association first Faculty Member of the Year, 2009-2010

  • President’s Award for Distinguished Service, 2004, Towson University’s highest honor

  • “Governor’s Citation” for Achievements in Higher Education and Service to Towson University, December 31, 2022

  • “Governor’s Citation” for Achievements in Higher Education and Service to Towson University, 2004

  • Winner, Teaching Fellow Award, Eastern Communication Association, 2004; Permanently on Teaching Fellow Committee

  • Keynote Speaker and award-winner at first “Towson’s Elite” Night, 2004

  • Faculty Volunteer Service Award, 2003

  • “Teacher of the Year,” 2002, Towson University, awarded by the Student Government Association; first such award by the SGA

  • The Thomas Szasz Civil Liberties Award January, 1994

  • Sponsored national winner in Wadsworth Publishing Co. oratory contest, 1987

  • University Merit Award 1984, 1988, 1990 (awarded to 30 faculty each year 1983-1990)

  • Won 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980 – Outstanding Teaching Grants (awarded to ten of approximately 500 full-time faculty each year 1976-1980); most of such awards on faculty

  • Appointed to Faculty of Honors College, Towson State University, 1982

  • 4 Outstanding Teaching Grants from Student Government Association (most awarded to one professor – awarded to ten of approximately 500 full-time faculty each year 1976-1980)

  • Longest Serving Member, University Senate, 1979-2020

  • 2003-2004 Search committee for Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs

  • 2004 Vice President for Student Affairs Search Committee

  • 2003 COFAC Dean Search Committee

  • COFAC Promotion and Tenure Committee (est. 1985-present)

  • Faculty/Staff Campaign

  • Leadership Advisory Committee

  • Maccabi Games: Transportation Committee Volunteer, August 11-15, 2002

  • University Task Force on Structure and Governance

  • Committee to evaluate BA/BS degree requirements

  • Served on Masters in Writing committee

  • Served on GUR Evaluation subcommittee of University Curriculum Committee

  • Served on Search Committee for Dean of Minority Affairs

  • College Promotion and Tenure Committee

  • President’s Strategic Resources Review Committee on Budget

  • President’s Faculty AD HOC Budgetary Committee

  • University Honors Board

  • University Retrenchment Appeals Committee

  • Fair Practices Committee

  • Commencement Speakers Review Board

  • Elected to Legislative Council for several 3-year terms, National Communication Association (NCA)

  • Appointed by the NCA Executive Committee to be a member of the NCA Rapid Response Team

  • 2017-2018 Eastern Communication Association: ECA organizational voice task force

  • The “Richard E. Vatz Agenda-Spin Persuasion Award” as of fall, 2018 supports writing and/or media work and pedagogy focused on the rhetor-as-creative-agent, and work focusing on rhetor-as-creative-agent and the rhetor’s responsibility in a persuasion model. This significant award of $2,000, disbursed annually, is to be based on the rhetorical perspective argued in Dr. Vatz’s “The Myth of the Rhetorical Situation” and The Only Authentic Book of Persuasion: The Agenda-Spin Model (LAD Custom Publishing, 2019).
     

  • “The Richard E. Vatz Best Debater Award Endowment.” $2000/year. Towson University Award since approximately 2014.

  • Selected Vatz Class Speakers in 2018-2022: Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi; Former Governor of Maryland Robert L. Ehrlich; Governor of Maryland Larry Hogan; Comptroller Peter Franchot.

  • Vatz-Sponsored Guest Campus Lectures: Governor Bob Ehrlich spoke to my class at Towson – part of twice-yearly lecture since 1993.

  • Selected Debates and Speakerships – in conjunction with Student Government Association: George McGovern vs. William F. Buckley; Sen. Patrick Moynihan vs. Sen. S. I. Hayakawa; Eleanor Smeal vs. Judith Lindahl; Columnist Richard Cohen; Thomas S. Szasz vs. E. Fuller Torrey.

  • “Psychiatric Rhetoric and the Myths Involving the Insanity Plea,” University Lecture, Hillsdale College, November 18, 2013

  • Windham Fellow Lecture Series in Liberal Arts, “Rhetoric and Impeachment,” Middle Tennessee State University, March 4, 1999

  • Featured speaker honoring Dr. Thomas Szasz on his 80th birthday; symposium was titled “Liberty and/or Psychiatry: 40 Years After ‘The Myth of Mental Illness,’” April 15, 2000

  • “Political Persuasion of the 2004 Presidential Race,” 11th Annual TUSC Staff Development Conference

  • “Media and Political Bias,” William Horne Memorial Lecture, April 19, 2004

  • Hillel VIP Lecture 2004

  • Keynote Speech, 2003 Induction Ceremony of The Golden Key International Honor Society

  • “Bias in the Media — Pro-left, Pro-right, Non-Existent or Equally Distributed,” TUSC Staff Development Conference, October 30, 2003

  • Speech to CCBC Catonsville ”Keeping your ethical chin up when it’s exposed by Fragmented Media.” April 9, 2008

  • Speech, “Public Opinion and public opinion polls in the United States,” League of Women Voters, Towson University, 2009

  • Presentation, The New York Times Talk Lunch Series “Major Non-Constitutional Factors Affecting Public Policy: Rhetoric and Public Opinion,” September 16, 2009

  • Spoke in Sen. Jim Brochin’s class, “Ideology and Politics,” September 29, 2005

  • Speakership, “A Jewish Conservative Viewpoint,” Baltimore Hebrew Congregation, December 9, 2012

  • Annapolis speech for Division of Innovation & Applied Research, “Political profiles in courage: a history and current application,” to business and political leaders and representatives of Maryland General Assembly

  • “Rhetoric and Mental Illness,” Staff Development Conference, TU Fall, October 8, 1996

  • “Faculty Forum,” AAUP, November 7, 1997

  • Panelist, “Towards Defining an Honors Course,” Lilly Conference, April, 1999

  • Lecture to Dulaney High School, philosophy class on “Rhetoric” February 2, 1999

  • Provided Debate Institute Lecture for debaters from Baltimore city’s Schools, Summer 2002

  • Featured Speaker, Maryland State Department of Education on the topic “Getting Along with the Media — Myths and Reality” at their annual retreat in Ocean City on October 28, 2004

Contributions & Achievements in the Literary Industry

  • Richard E. Vatz, The Only Authentic Book of Persuasion: the Agenda-Spin Method 7th Edition Authors Press (2022)

  • Richard E. Vatz, The Only Authentic Book of Persuasion, 2nd Edition; Revision McGraw-Hill (2017)

  • Jeffrey Schaler, Henry Zvi Lothane and Richard E. Vatz, Thomas S. Szasz: the Man and His Ideas (Transaction Publishers, 2017).

  • Richard E. Vatz and Lee S. Weinberg (eds.), Thomas Szasz: Primary Values and Major Contentions (Buffalo: Prometheus Press, 1983)

  • Richard E. Vatz, The Only Authentic Book of Persuasion available August, 2017 (McGraw-Hill, 2017) LAD Publishing 2021

  • Associate Editor of USA TODAY MAGAZINE 1987 - through its closure, end of 2022

  • Board of Trustees Member, USA TODAY MAGAZINE, 2001 - through its closure, end of 2022

  • Editorial Board for SOUTHERN COMMUNICATION JOURNAL through its closure 2022

  • Editorial Board for QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF SPEECH 1999-2002

  • Editorial Board for COMMUNICATION QUARTERLY 2001-2003

  • Associate Editor, COMMUNICATION STUDIES, 2002-2004

  • Editor, Current Psychology, appointed June, 2008 – 2015

  • Richard E. Vatz, “The Myth of the Rhetorical Situation,” PHILOSOPHY AND RHETORIC (Summer, 1973)

  • Richard E. Vatz, “Rhetoric and Meaning in Grading” FLORIDA STATE COMMUNICATION JOURNAL (Summer, 1974)

  • Richard E. Vatz and Theodore O. Windt, “The Defeats of Judges Haynsworth and Carswell: Rejection of Supreme Court Nominees,” QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF SPEECH (December, 1974)

  • Richard E. Vatz and Ron Rabin, “Dan Rather at George Washington University Law Commencement: Stroking and Nothingness,” EXETASIS (June, 1975)

  • Richard E. Vatz and Ron Rabin, “The Critic as Rhetor,” EXETASIS (1975)

  • Lee S. Weinberg and Richard E. Vatz “Szasz and the Law: An Alternative View,” JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY AND LAW, (Winter, 1976)

  • Richard E. Vatz et al.,” The Vice-Presidential Debate and the Theories of Paul Rosenthal,” EXETASIS, (November 2, 1976)

  • Richard E. Vatz, “Public Opinion and Presidential Ethos,” WESTERN SPEECH COMMUNICATION (Summer, 1976)

  • Richard E. Vatz and Lee S. Weinberg, “A Szaszian View of Death,” JOURNAL OF HUMANISTIC PSYCHOLOGY (Spring, 1977): Reprinted in THETA: A JOURNAL OF PSYCHICAL RESEARCH

  • Lee S. Weinberg and Richard E. Vatz, “Law, Language and Forensic Psychiatry,” DUQUESNE LAW REVIEW (Summer, 1978)

  • Richard E. Vatz, “Rhetoric and the Law,” in Lee S. Weinberg and Judith W. Weinberg, SOCIETY AND THE LAW: AN INTERDISCIPLINARY INTRODUCTION, (University Press of America, 1980)

  • Richard E. Vatz and Lee S. Weinberg, “Taking Law on Faith,” AMERICAN LEGAL STUDIES ASSOCIATION FORUM (Spring, 1980)

  • Lee S. Weinberg and Richard E. Vatz, “The Mental Illness Debate: The Critical Faith Assumptions,” THE JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY AND LAW (Fall, 1981)

  • Lee S. Weinberg and Richard E. Vatz, “The Insanity Defense: Szaszian Ethics and Epistemology,” METAMEDICINE (October, 1982)

  • Richard E. Vatz and Lee S. Weinberg, “From the Therapeutic State to the Lucifer State,” essay on rhetoric in Trevor Melia and Nova Ryder, LUCIFER STATE (Kendall-Hunt: 1983)

  • Richard E. Vatz and Lee S. Weinberg, “Insanity Plea Proposals: Confusing, Contradictory, and Self-serving,” USA TODAY MAGAZINE (September, 1983)

  • Richard E. Vatz and Lee S. Weinberg, “The Psychiatric Will,” JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY AND LAW (Fall, 1983)

  • Richard E. Vatz and Lee S. Weinberg, “A Pulitzer Prize for Cheerleading,” ST. LOUIS JOURNALISM REVIEW (October, 1985)

  • Richard E. Vatz, Lee S. Weinberg, and Thomas Szasz, “Psychiatry and Media: An Unhealthy Marriage,” USA TODAY MAGAZINE (May: 1986)

  • Richard E. Vatz and Lee S. Weinberg “Politics and Psychiatry,” USA TODAY MAGAZINE (July, 1987)

  • Richard E. Vatz and Theodore Otto Windt, “The Haynsworth and Carswell Nominations: Rejection of Supreme Court Nominees,” in Theodore Otto Wind, ESSAYS IN PRESIDENTIAL RHETORIC, Kendall-Hunt, 1987

  • Richard E. Vatz and Lee S. Weinberg, “Is Compulsive Gambling Really a Disease?,” POSTGRADUATE MEDICINE (October, 1987)

  • Richard E. Vatz and Lee S. Weinberg, “The Critic as Rhetor: Psychiatry and Fantasy Theme Analysis,” Critique, JOURNAL OF COMMUNICATION (Autumn: 1987)

  • Richard E. Vatz and Lee S. Weinberg, “The Hyperactive Myth and Drugs in the Classroom,” USA TODAY MAGAZINE (September, 1988)

  • Richard E. Vatz and Lee S. Weinberg, “Media and Polling: Measuring and Creating the Salience of George Bush as ‘Wimp’,” MASS COMM REVIEW 1987 (May, 1989)

  • Richard E. Vatz and Lee S. Weinberg, “Alcoholism and the ‘Disease’ Metaphor,” USA TODAY MAGAZINE (September, 1989)

  • Richard E. Vatz and Lee S. Weinberg, “The Arrogance of Predicting Dangerousness,” USA TODAY MAGAZINE (November, 1989)

  • Richard E. Vatz and Lee S. Weinberg, “The Case of Marion Barry: Political Persuasion and Self-Doubt,” USA TODAY MAGAZINE (September 1990)

  • Richard E. Vatz and Lee S. Weinberg, “The Conceptual Bind in Defining the Volitional Component of Alcoholism: Consequences for Public Policy and Scientific Research,” JOURNAL OF MIND AND BEHAVIOR (Summer/Winter 1990)

  • Richard E. Vatz and Lee S. Weinberg, “Rhetoric, Biology and Power Seekers,” POLITICS AND THE LIFE SCIENCES (August, 1991)

  • Richard E. Vatz and Lee S. Weinberg, “Psychiatric Excuses for Criminal Behavior: The Public is Losing Patience,” USA TODAY MAGAZINE (March, 1992)

  • Richard E. Vatz and Lee S. Weinberg, “The Ethics of Negative Political Advertising,” in Peter Madsen and Jay Safritz, ESSENTIALS OF GOVERNMENT ETHICS (Penguin Books: 1992)

  • Richard E. Vatz and Lee S. Weinberg, “Is Mental Illness a Myth?” USA TODAY MAGAZINE (July, 1993)

  • Richard E. Vatz and Lee S. Weinberg, “Refuting the Myths of Compulsive Gambling,” USA TODAY MAGAZINE (November, 1993)

  • Richard E. Vatz, “Con” side in published debate on “Should Health Care Reform Include Parity for Behavioral Health Benefits?” OPEN MINDS (February: 1994)

  • Richard E. Vatz and Lee S. Weinberg, “A Windfall for the ‘Worried Well,'” GOVERNING (May: 1994)

  • Richard E. Vatz and Lee S. Weinberg, “TV on the Couch” FORBES MEDIA CRITIC (Summer: 1994)

  • Richard E. Vatz and Lee S. Weinberg, “The Rhetorical Paradigm in Psychiatric History: Thomas Szasz and the Myth of Mental Illness,” in Roy Porter and Mark Micale, DISCOVERING THE HISTORY OF PSYCHIATRY Oxford University Press (1994)

  • Richard E. Vatz and Lee S. Weinberg, “Psychobabble Revisited,” FORBES MEDIA CRITIC (WINTER:1995)

  • Richard E. Vatz and Lee S. Weinberg, “Hyperactivity?” MOTHERING (Spring: 1995)

  • Richard E. Vatz and Lee S. Weinberg, “Overreacting to Attention Deficit Disorder,” USA TODAY MAGAZINE (Winter: 1995)

  • Richard E. Vatz and Lee S. Weinberg, “Rhetoric and Psychiatry,” in Theresa Enos, ENCYCLOPEDIA OF RHETORIC AND COMPOSITION (1996)

  • Richard E. Vatz, “Should We Destigmatize Mental Illness?,” USA TODAY MAGAZINE (May, 1996)

  • Richard E. Vatz and Lee S. Weinberg, “Better Late Than Never,” FORBES MEDIACRITIC (Summer, 1996)

  • Richard E. Vatz, “The Myth of the Rhetorical Situation,” anthologized in William A. Covino and David A. Joliffe, RHETORIC: Concepts, Definitions, Boundaries, Allyn and Bacon, 1995

  • Richard E. Vatz and Lee S. Weinberg, “Is Mental Illness a Myth?,” anthologized in Joseph J. Palladino, ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY 96-97, Brown and Benchmark, 1996

  • Richard E. Vatz and Lee S. Weinberg, “PARITY: The New Buzzword in Mental Health,” USA TODAY MAGAZINE (May, 1997)

  • Richard E. Vatz and Lee S. Weinberg, “How Accurate Are Media Depictions of ADD?,” USA TODAY MAGAZINE (July: 1997)

  • Richard E. Vatz and Lee S. Weinberg, “Critiques of Szaszian Criticism of Psychiatry: Nonengagement and Irrelevant Theses,” REVIEW OF EXISTENTIAL PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHIATRY, 1997-1998.

  • Richard E. Vatz and Lee S. Weinberg, “The Insanity Defense: The Unconscionable Impact on Victims of Violence,” USA TODAY MAGAZINE, May, 1998.

  • Richard E. Vatz and Lee S. Weinberg, “The Unabomber’s Twisted Saga,” USA TODAY MAGAZINE, (July: 1998) 56-58.

  • Richard E. Vatz and Lee S. Weinberg, “Heavy Gambling is not a Disease,” in Rod L. Evans and Mark Hance (eds.), LEGALIZED GAMBLING: FOR AND AGAINST, Open Court Publishing Company, 1998

  • Richard E. Vatz and Lee S. Weinberg, “Television’s Assault on Civility,” USA TODAY MAGAZINE (September: 1998)

  • Richard E. Vatz and Lee S. Weinberg, “Rhetorical Dimensions of Decriminalization,” in Jefferson Fish, HOW TO LEGALIZE DRUGS, 1998

  • Richard E. Vatz and Lee S. Weinberg, “Should Mental Illness fall Under the Americans with Disabilities Act?” USA TODAY MAGAZINE, January, 1999

  • Richard E. Vatz, “The Myth of the Rhetorical Situation,” anthologized in John Lucaites, CONTEMPORARY RHETORICAL THEORY: A Reader (1999)

  • Richard E. Vatz and Lee S. Weinberg, ”Dr. Kevorkian on the Air: CBS and ‘60 Minutes’ Drop the Ball,” USA TODAY MAGAZINE, May, 1999

  • Richard E. Vatz, “Tipper Gore and the Overreaching of Mental Health Coverage, USA TODAY MAGAZINE, March, 2000.

  • Richard E. Vatz, Reprint of “The Myth of the Rhetorical Situation,” RHETORICA SCANDINAVICA, September 2000

  • Richard E. Vatz, “The Surgeon General’s Unkindest Cut,” USA TODAY MAGAZINE, November, 2000

  • Richard E. Vatz, “The Rhetoric of ADHD” Disease, USA TODAY MAGAZINE (March, 2001)

  • Richard E. Vatz and Lee S. Weinberg, “Sexual Predator Statutes and Psychiatric Confusion,” USA TODAY MAGAZINE, July, 2001

  • Richard E. Vatz, “Psychological Help for the Terrorized,” USA Today Magazine, Nov. 2001

  • Richard E. Vatz and Lee S. Weinberg, “Murderous Mothers,” USA TODAY MAGAZINE, 2002

  • Richard E Vatz and Lee S. Weinberg, “Gambling, Psychology and State Politics,” USA TODAY MAGAZINE, May, 2003

  • Richard E. Vatz, “Lately on Media Bias,” QUALITATIVE RESEARCH REPORTS IN COMMUNICATION (Fall, 2003)

  • Richard E. Vatz, “Getting Away with Murder: Vincent Gigante and Exculpatory Psychiatry,” USA TODAY MAGAZINE, March, 2004

  • Richard E. Vatz, “Psychological Help for the Terrorized,” ANNUAL EDITIONS, McGraw-Hill Higher Education, March 2004

  • Richard E. Vatz, The Unabomber’s Twisted Saga, ANNUAL EDITIONS Violence and Terrorism March, 2004

  • Richard E. Vatz, “The Latest on John Hinckley,” USA TODAY MAGAZINE, (September, 2004)

  • Richard E. Vatz, “Is a Mental Illness Rapprochement Possible?” USA TODAY MAGAZINE (November, 2004)

  • Richard E. Vatz, “Will Justice Be Served on Andrea Yates?” USA TODAY MAGAZINE (March, 2005)

  • Richard E. Vatz, “Therapy Overload on Campus” USA Today Magazine, November, 2005

  • Richard E. Vatz, “The Article Rewrite Assignment, The Successful Professor, November 2005

  • Richard E. Vatz, “The Quandary over Mental Illness,” ANNUAL EDITIONS: Psychology 06/07

  • Richard E. Vatz, “Of What Value are Public Opinion Polls,” USA Today Magazine, May, 2006

  • Richard E. Vatz., “Rhetoric and Psychiatry: A Szaszian Perspective on a Political Case Study,” Current Psychology Vol 25, #3 Fall 2006 pp. 173-181

  • Richard E. Vatz, “The Devil Made Them Do It,” USA Today Magazine, March, 2007

  • Richard E. Vatz and Lee S. Weinberg, “What We Can and Cannot Learn From the Virginia Tech Tragedy,” USA Today Magazine, July, 2007

  • Richard E. Vatz, Annual Editions Psychology 07/08 “The Quandary Over Mental Illness”

  • Richard E. Vatz and Jeffrey A. Schaler, “Psychiatry’s Valid but Dishonest Reconsiderations” – USA Today Magazine, March, 2008 58-60

  • Richard E. Vatz and Lee S. Weinberg, The Obama vs. Clinton Security Sweepstakes,” USA Today Magazine, May, 2008

  • Richard E. Vatz and Lee S. Weinberg, “Arguably the Best in the History of the Game” [on Roberto Clemente],” USA Today Magazine, July, 2008

  • Richard E. Vatz and Lee S. Weinberg, “Unacceptable Campaigning: the “FIT Test,” USA Today Magazine, (in press)

  • Richard E. Vatz and Lee S. Weinberg, “Candidates need to be ‘FIT’,” USA Today Magazine, September, 2008

  • Richard E. Vatz, “Accommodating the Killer,” USA Today Magazine, September, 2008

  • Richard E. Vatz, “NCA’s de facto Ideological Discrimination,” Spectra January 2009

  • Richard E. Vatz and Jeffrey A. Schaler, “Through a Back Door Darkly: New Mental Health Insurance Requirements,” USA Today Magazine, January, 2009

  • Richard E. Vatz, “The Mythical Status of Situational Rhetoric: Implications for Rhetorical Critics’ Relevance in the Public Arena,” The Review of Communication Vol. 9, No. 1, January 2009, pp. 1-5

  • Richard E. Vatz, “The (Liberal) Beat Goes On (on media bias and Howard Kurtz’s “Reliable Sources”), USA Today Magazine, May, 2009

  • Richard E. Vatz and Jeffrey A. Schaler, “A Depressing Outlook for Teenagers,” USA Today Magazine, July, 2009

  • Richard E. Vatz, “Parity’s Perfect Storm,” USA Today Magazine, November, 2009

  • Richard E. Vatz, “Doing Away with the ‘Only One-Fourth of One Percent Solution,’ USA Today Magazine, March, 2010

  • Richard E. Vatz, “A Democrat Suffers Media Bias: Hillary’s Fight Against Pro-Obama Coverage” in Theodore Sheckels, Cracked But Not Shatterered: Hillary Rodham Clinton’s Unsuccessful Campaign for the Presidency, 2010

  • Richard E. Vatz, “Mentally ill offenders should be held responsible for their actions” in Crime and criminals / Christina Fisanick, (ed.) Crime and Criminals, 2010

  • Richard E. Vatz, “Doing Away with the ‘Only One-Fourth of One Percent Solution,’USA Today Magazine, March, 2010

  • Richard E. Vatz, “Online Courses: Main Streaming the Phoenix Model of Inferior Education,” The Faculty Voice, May 2010

  • Richard E. Vatz,”Bullying by Any Other Name,” USA Today Magazine, September, 2010

  • Richard E. Vatz, “A Conservative Pundit in Liberal Surroundings: an uneven odyssey” in Seth Kahn (ed.) Activism and Rhetoric, Routledge Press, 2010

  • Richard E. Vatz, “The Insanity Excuse and Retrograde Thinking,” USA Today Magazine, March 2011.

  • Richard E. Vatz, “The Politics of Rhetoric and Courage,” USA Today Magazine, March 2013

  • Richard E. Vatz and Jeffrey A. Schaler, “Therapeutic Theory: Psychiatry’s Irresponsible Deception,” an expanded piece on the new DSM-5, USA Today Magazine, July, 2013

  • Richard E. Vatz. (November: 2013) Commemoration of Anniversary of JFK Assassination, Baltimore Magazine

  • Richard E. Vatz, (March, 2014) “This is Insane,” USA Today Magazine

  • Richard E. Vatz, July 2015 “Ameliorating (NOT!) Race Relations” USA Today Magazine, 16-17

  • Richard E. Vatz September 2015 USA Today Magazine “Voting Season Ventures,” 44-46

  • Vatz, Richard E. “Polling Place: No Choice at All,” USA Today Magazine, July, 2016

  • Vatz, Richard E. “The Academically Destructive Nature of Trigger Warnings,” First Amendment Studies Volume 50, Fall 2016 – Issue 2

  • Richard E. Vatz, “The Fatherless Pandemic,” USA Today Magazine, January 2019.

  • Vatz, Richard E. I’ve Got a Little List, With Apologies to Gilbert and Sullivan, The Daily Squib, 2020

  • Richard E. Vatz “A Conservative Professorial Pundit in Liberal Surroundings: an uneven odyssey projected through 2020,” in Seth Kahn and JongHua Lee (eds.) Activism and Rhetoric, theories and contexts for political engagement (forthcoming: 2019)

  • Vatz, Richard E. Crushing Conservatism In The Academy: A Case Study Of One National Anti-Conservative Organization, The Daily Caller, February 3, 2020

  • Vatz, Richard E. Identity Universities and the End of Academic Freedom, The Daily Caller, June 23, 2021

  • Richard E. Vatz, “A Conservative Pundit in Liberal Surroundings: an uneven odyssey” in Seth Kahn (ed.) Activism and Rhetoric 2nd edition, Routledge Press, 2020

  • Vatz, Richard E. “Whataboutisms” USA Today Magazine. March 2021

  • Vatz, Richard E. and Schaler, Jeffrey A. Prolonged Grief Disorder, USA Today Magazine July, 2022

  • Vatz, Richard E. and Schaler, Jeffrey, “Death for Those who inflict Death,” USA Today Magazine July, 2022

  • Vatz, Richard E. “Closing a Conservative Chapter in Higher Education,” USA Today Magazine, November 2022

  • Richard E. Vatz, Review, Marvin Karlins and Herbert B. Abelson, PERSUASION, in THE SPEECH TEACHER (September, 1972)

  • Richard E. Vatz, Review, Murray Edelman, POLITICS AS SYMBOLIC ACTION, in QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF SPEECH (February, 1974)

  • Richard E. Vatz, Review, F.M. Kail, WHAT WASHINGTON SAID in TODAY’S SPEECH (Spring: 1974)

  • Richard E. Vatz and Trevor Melia, Bibliographic Book Review of Works of Thomas Szasz in QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF SPEECH (February, 1977)

  • Lee S. Weinberg and Richard E. Vatz, Review Essay, on Thomas Szasz MYTH OF PSYCHOTHERAPY, in AMERICAN LEGAL STUDIES ASSOCIATION FORUM (May, 1978)

  • Richard E. Vatz and Lee S. Weinberg, Book Review Essay (on Works of Thomas Szasz), in COMMUNICATION QUARTERLY (Spring, 1979)

  • Richard E. Vatz and Lee S. Weinberg, Review, Thomas Szasz, THEOLOGY AND MEDICINE, in PHILOSOPHY AND RHETORIC (Winter, 1981)

  • Richard E. Vatz and Lee S. Weinberg, Review of Thomas Szasz, SEX BY PRESCRIPTION, in The QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF SPEECH (February, 1982)

  • Lee S. Weinberg and Richard E. Vatz. Review of Raoul Berger, DEATH PENALTIES, in AMERICAN LEGAL STUDIES REVIEW (1983)

  • Richard E. Vatz and Lee S. Weinberg, Review, E. Fuller Torrey, SCHIZOPHRENIA, in QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF SPEECH (May: 1986)

  • Richard E. Vatz and Lee S. Weinberg, Review, Ellen Plasil, THERAPIST, in PSYCHOTHERAPY (Fall: 1986)

  • Richard E. Vatz and Lee S. Weinberg, Review of THE MEDIA ELITE, in QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF SPEECH (November: 1987)

  • Richard E. Vatz and Lee S. Weinberg, “Trivializing Anti-Psychiatry,” Review-essay, Garth Wood, THE MYTH OF NEUROSIS in CRITICAL REVIEW (Fall: 1987)

  • Richard E. Vatz and Lee S. Weinberg, Review of Peter Stoler, THE WAR AGAINST THE PRESS, in SOUTHERN SPEECH COMMUNICATION (Winter: 1988)

  • Richard E. Vatz and Lee S. Weinberg, Review of Robert Denton and Dan Hahn, PRESIDENTIAL COMMUNICATION, in PRESIDENTIAL STUDIES QUARTERLY (Winter: 1988)

  • Richard E. Vatz and Lee S. Weinberg, “Metaphor and Law,” a Review of Milner Ball’s LYING DOWN TOGETHER: LAW, METAPHOR AND THEOLOGY, in LAW AND SOCIETY REVIEW (volume 21, #5: 1988)

  • Richard E. Vatz and Lee S. Weinberg, Review of William Rusher, THE COMING BATTLE FOR THE MEDIA, in QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF SPEECH (November, 1990)

  • Richard E. Vatz, Review of Richard Berendzen (with Laura Palmer), COME HERE, in PSYCHOTHERAPY (Spring:1994)

  • Richard E. Vatz and Lee S. Weinberg “Dershowitz’s Muddled Arguments Make Sorry Case for Book, “THE SUNDAY SUN November, 1994

  • Richard E. Vatz and Lee S. Weinberg, Review, Alan Dershowitz, THE ABUSE EXCUSE,” QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF SPEECH (August, 1996)

  • Richard E Vatz and Lee S. Weinberg, Review of James Q. Wilson, DOES THE ABUSE EXCUSE THREATEN OUR LEGAL SYSTEM, in SOUTHERN COMMUNICATION JOURNAL (Fall, 1997)

  • Richard E Vatz and Lee S. Weinberg, Review of James Q. Wilson, MORAL JUDGMENT in SOUTHERN COMMUNICATION JOURNAL, (Fall, 1997)

  • Richard E. Vatz and Lee S. Weinberg, Howard Kurtz, SPIN CYCLE, QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF SPEECH, (Feb, 1999)

  • Richard E. Vatz and Lee S. Weinberg, Leslie Stahl, REPORTING LIVE, SOUTHERN COMMUNICATION JOURNAL (Summer: 2000)

  • Richard E. Vatz, Review, Bernard Goldberg, BIAS, USA TODAY MAGAZINE, May 2002

  • Richard E. Vatz, Review, Bernard Goldberg, BIAS, QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF SPEECH , Nov 2002

  • Richard E. Vatz, Review, Jeffrey Schaler, ADDICTION IS A CHOICE, JOURNAL OF HEALTH COMMUNICATION (2003)

  • Richard E. Vatz, “Significant Psychiatric Recommendations Irresponsibly Made,” Current Psychology, November, 2007

  • Review of Allan V. Horwitz and Jerome C. Wakefield. The loss of sadness, (New York: Oxford University Press, Inc., 2007)

  • Review, Richard E. Vatz, Bernard Goldberg, A slobbering love affair, 2009 Quarterly Journal of Speech: (2010)

  • Richard E. Vatz, rejoinder to article by Scott Consigny critiquing my article “The Myth of the Rhetorical Situation” in PHILOSOPHY AND RHETORIC (Winter, 1975)

  • Lee. S. Weinberg and Richard E. Vatz, “Political Philosophy,” COMMENTARY (June, 1976)

  • Richard E. Vatz, “More on the Rhetorical Situation,” in Forum Section, QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF SPEECH (February, 1981)

  • Richard E. Vatz and Kenneth A. Vatz, letter-essay on medical care in COMMENTARY (June, 1983)

  • Richard E. Vatz and Lee S. Weinberg, “Challenging the Challengers of Szasz’s Psychiatric Will,” HASTINGS CENTER REPORT (December, 1983)

  • Richard E. Vatz and Lee S. Weinberg, THE NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE (July 21, 1988)

  • Richard E. Vatz and Lee S. Weinberg, “Psychosophistry’ on the Homeless,” THE WASHINGTON POST (January 7, 1989)

  • Richard E. Vatz and Lee S. Weinberg, “The Scholars Have Their Say,” THE WASHINGTON POST (April 7, 1990)

  • Richard E. Vatz, “Dangers of Ritalin,” THE NEW YORK TIMES (August 4, 1990)

  • Richard E. Vatz, “The Insanity Defense,” THE WASHINGTON POST (August 26, 1990)

  • Richard E. Vatz and Lee S. Weinberg, “Anti-psychiatry and Homelessness,” COMMENTARY (September, 1991)

  • Richard E. Vatz and Lee S. Weinberg, “Battling for Mental Health Benefits,” THE WASHINGTON POST (March 31, 1992)

  • Richard E. Vatz, “The Low State of Higher Ed.” THE WASHINGTON POST (September 14, 1992)

  • Richard E. Vatz and Lee S. Weinberg, refereed letter, JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION (May 12, 1993)

  • Richard E. Vatz, Edith Effron and Psychoanalysis of Bill Clinton, REASON (March, 1995)

  • Richard E. Vatz, “Not All Mental Woes Are Severe Illnesses,” THE BALTIMORE SUN, August 19, 1996.

  • Richard E. Vatz, “Schizophrenia’s Most Zealous Foe,” THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE, March, 1998, p. 16

  • Richard E. Vatz, “Capitol Madness.” USA TODAY (newspaper) August 18, 1998

  • Richard E. Vatz, “Drug Stigma Not Bad,” USA TODAY, May 11, 1999

  • Richard E. Vatz, “Why Publicize an Assassin’s Views? “THE WASHINGTON POST, May 22, 1999

  • Richard E. Vatz, “Letting Criminals Walk,” THE WASHINGTON POST, July 30, 1999

  • Richard E. Vatz, “Insanity Defense: Indefensible,” THE WASHINGTON POST, March 6, 2000

  • Richard E. Vatz, “Mental Disorder,” COMMENTARY, March, 2000

  • Richard E. Vatz, “An Obeisant Vice President,” THE WASHINGTON POST, July 9, 2000

  • Richard E. Vatz, “Self Disclosure in Therapy, “Science,” THE NEW YORK TIMES,” January 8, 2002

  • Richard E. Vatz, Letter to the Editor on Mary McGrory’s Editorial Retraction, THE WASHINGTON POST March 8, 2003

  • Richard E. Vatz, “Therapy is in the Eye of the Beholder,” THE WASHINGTON POST, March 30, 2004

  • Richard E. Vatz, “No Authenticity in Debates,” THE WASHINGTON POST October 25, 2004

  • Richard E. Vatz, “Conservative and Liberal Professors in the academy,” CHRONICLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION, November 5, 2004

  • Richard E. Vatz, “CBS Anchor’s Departure is Welcome” USA Today, March 8, 2005

  • “Thomas Szasz Takes on His Critics,” Reason Magazine, Aug/Sept 2005

  • Letter on cyclothymia, The Washington Post, December 27, 2005

  • “Dealing with Depression, The Washington Post, June 28, 2006

  • Richard E. Vatz, “Boys and Girls and ADHD,” The Washington Post, July 18, 2006

  • Richard E. Vatz, “An Unbalanced Diagnosis,” The New Atlantis, Fall, 2006

  • Richard E. Vatz, “[anti] Parity for Mental Health” The Washington Post, November 20, 2007

  • Richard E. Vatz, “Bill Buckley as I Knew Him,” The Washington Post, February 29, 2008

  • Richard E. Vatz, “Is Monitoring Plagiarism Worth the Hassle?” The Chronicle of Higher Education, April 10, 2009

  • Richard E. Vatz, The Washington Post (Health) Depression Testing, June 2, 2009

  • Richard E. Vatz, Letter exchange with Gonzales Group (Polling), The Baltimore Sun, October 3, 2009

  • Richard E. Vatz, “About that Bloomberg Runaway,” The New York Times November 21, 2009

  • Richard E. Vatz, “Remembering Deborah Howell,” The Washington Post, January 9, 2010

  • Richard E. Vatz, Abortion’s Mental Health Debate, The Washington Post, November 10, 2010

  • Richard E. Vatz, “The Ombudsman’s Verdict,” The Washington Post November 29, 2011.

  • Richard E. Vatz, “Without an ombudsman, it’s a diminished Post,” The Washington Post, February 23, 2012

  • Richard E. Vatz, “Local Opinions” in The Washington Post July 20, 2013 on the George Zimmerman case.

  • Richard E. Vatz, “Overuse of anonymous sources hurts the paper’s credibility,” The Washington Post, December 20, 2013

  • Richard E. Vatz, “Mental Health Overhaul Won’t Curtain Mass Killings,” The Wall Street Journal January 3, 2014

  • Richard E. Vatz, “Unplugged in the Classroom, The Washington Post, January 5, 2015

  • Richard E. Vatz, “Not Time for Hinckley’s Release, The Washington Post, June 22, 2015

  • Letter to the Editor, “Growing Intolerance on Campus,” The Washington Post, February 18, 2016

  • Vatz, Richard E., “Addiction is Not a Disease,” letter The Baltimore Sun, June 7, 2016

  • Vatz, Richard E., “An objectionable omission [regarding psychiatry’s omission of Thomas S. Szasz in its histories], November 5, 2016.

  • Vatz, Richard E., “Real Science is Based on Insights, Not Identity” Wall Street Journal, August 10th, 2017

  • (The CV lists roughly 100 editorials spanning 1980-2022 across publications like The Baltimore Sun, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and Maryland Reporter. Notable titles include:)

  • “No Mere Rhetoric,” THE BALTIMORE SUN (July 15, 1980)

  • “Reaganspeak and the New Imperial Presidency,” THE BALTIMORE SUN (August 20, 1981)

  • “Calling Behaviors ‘Illness’ deflects responsibility,” THE LOS ANGELES TIMES (June 20, 1983)

  • “Why Not Sue a Psychiatrist?,” THE WASHINGTON POST (August 29, 1983)

  • “Television and Psychiatry?” Outlook section of THE WASHINGTON POST (September 15, 1985)

  • “The Myth of Tobacco Addiction,” THE WASHINGTON POST (October 7, 1986)

  • “The Riddle of Colonel North: A Crazy-Brave Among Phony-Toughs,” THE WASHINGTON POST (January 26, 1987)

  • “Selling the Myth of the Pathological Gambler,” THE EVENING SUN (June 22, 1987)

  • “There’s a New Skepticism Toward Alcohol as a Disease,” Health Section, THE WASHINGTON POST (March 7, 1989)

  • “Compulsive Gambling as a Phony Excuse,” THE WALL STREET JOURNAL (July 3, 1991)

  • “Keno Krazy: Why ‘Compulsive Gambling Really Isn’t,” “Outlook” Editorial, THE WASHINGTON POST (January 10, 1993)

  • “Blanket Mental Health Coverage- Crazy,” THE WALL STREET JOURNAL (April 14, 1993)

  • “Attention Deficit Delirium,” THE WALL STREET JOURNAL (July 27, 1994)

  • “Good Reasons for Caution on Mental Health Coverage.” THE WALL STREET JOURNAL (June 13, 1996)

  • “Not a Close Call,” THE WASHINGTON TIMES, April 1998

  • “Overreach on Mental Health,” THE WASHINGTON TIMES, June 23, 1999

  • “The Wrong Decision-Makers,” THE WASHINGTON TIMES, August 8, 1999

  • “Media Coverage of McVeigh”, THE WASHINGTON TIMES, April 15, 2001

  • “Compulsive Gambling Hyperbole,” THE WASHINGTON TIMES, March 27, 2003

  • “Psychiatry in the Courtroom,” THE WASHINGTON TIMES, May 21, 2003

  • “The Case Against Hinckley’s Plea,” THE WASHINGTON TIMES, November 3, 2003

  • “Primaries are Undemocratic,” USA TODAY (newspaper), January 19, 2004

  • “A Big Debate Over a Small Number of Votes,” RALEIGH NEWS AND OBSERVER, September 28, 2004

  • “One Sick Prognosis,” The Washington Times,” January 7, 2009

  • “Mental Health Trojan Horse,” The Washington Times, December 31, 2009

  • “TU’s Identity Crisis,” The Towerlight, February 25, 2010

  • “SCHALER AND VATZ: A Rorschach test of modern mental health care,” The Washington Times, June 3, 2013

  • “False Parity between mental and physical health care,” The Washington Times, November 18, 2013

  • “Improving Presidential Debates,” The Washington Times, February 19, 2016

  • “Turning political disagreement into a disease,” The Washington Times, May 18, 2017

  • “The Social Costs of Fatherlessness” The Washington Times. December 18, 2018

  • “When Type A Leadership Leads to Shortsighted Political Policy,” Washington Times June 25, 2018

  • “The myth of ‘cell phone addiction’” The Washington Times August 29, 2018

  • “The Capital Gazette Shooter’s Fraudulent Insanity Plea”, The Washington Post, October 30, 2019

  • “Solving the nation’s violence problem starts with supporting fathers,” Washington Examiner, July 2, 2021

  • “Lee Boyd Malvo should not be released from prison,” The Washington Post, September 17, 2021

  • (The CV lists roughly 32 blog posts primarily for Red Maryland spanning 2008-2015 on topics like political campaigns, media bias, presidential rhetoric, mental health debates, and polling). Examples: “Capital Punishment and the South Carolina Malicious Miscreant,” June 19, 2015; “President Barack Obama and the Pending Catastrophe of Iran,” July 10, 2009; “Stay in the Race, Hillary,” Red Maryland, May 23, 2008.

  • (The CV lists roughly 80 specific conference papers, panels, and keynote addresses delivered between 1973 and 2021, primarily at the National Communication Association (NCA) and Eastern Communication Association (ECA). Key topics revolve around political communication, the rhetoric of psychiatry, media bias, presidential rhetoric, academic freedom, and the "Agenda-Spin" method. Examples:

  • “Presidential Ethos: The Rhetoric of Apotheosis,” Eastern States Communication Convention, 1973

  • “The Rhetorical Creation of Détente,” Speech Communication Association annual meeting, 1980

  • “Psychiatry and Psychology as Rhetoric,” 1987 SCA annual convention

  • “Argument for Qualified Support of the Death Penalty,” National Communication Association Convention Fall, 2002

  • “Bush’s War on Terror: Lessons to Be Learned after Three Years,” National Communication Association (Fall, 2004)

  • “The Academically Destructive Nature of Trigger Warnings,” Eastern Communication Association Convention, Spring, 2016

  • “The Trump Watch: Rhetorical Personality and the Presidency,” 2017 National Communication Association (NCA)

  • “The Agenda-Spin Theory: The Ethical Solution to Political Rhetoric Prevailing Bias,” Duquesne Communication Ethics Convention, June 9, 2021

  • Regular biweekly guest on WBAL’s “The Ron Smith Show,” beginning August 3, 2005 through December 2011.

  • Chief Political Commentator for 2002 Gubernatioral Election, WJZ-TV, WNUV.

  • Debate Commentary, WJZ-TV, 1984, 1988, 1992, 2000.

  • CBS Nationwide Commentary for Presidential & VP Debates (1992, 1996, 2000) and Inaugural Commentary (1993, 1997, 2001).

  • Appearances on Fox News locally and nationally, ABC Radio Network, WTOP News, WMAR-TV’s “Square Off”, KNX Los Angeles.

  • Served as a consultant in the areas of executive communication and issues of communication and psychiatry. Clients have included some of the major law firms in Baltimore and Washington, banking institutions, and charitable institutions.

  • Academic Background

    • Ph.D. University of Pittsburgh, Rhetoric and Communication, 1976

    • M.A. University of Pittsburgh, Rhetoric and Communication, 1970

    • B.A. University of Pittsburgh, Sociology, 1969 (MAGNA CUM LAUDE)

  • Teaching Experience

    • 1989 – January 1, 2023: Full Professor, Towson State University (Retired; Professor Emeritus)

    • 1982 – 1989: Associate Professor, Towson State University

    • 1974 – 1982: Assistant Professor, Towson State University

    • 1973 – 1974: Instructor, North Carolina State University

    • 1969 – 1973: Instructor, Penn State (McKeesport Campus)

  • University Service, Committee Leadership & National Appointments

    • 1979 – 2020: Longest Serving Member, University Senate

    • 2003 – 2004: Search Committee for Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs

    • 2004: Vice President for Student Affairs Search Committee

    • 2003: COFAC Dean Search Committee

    • 1985 – 2023: COFAC Promotion and Tenure Committee

    • 2002: Maccabi Games: Transportation Committee Volunteer (August 11-15)

    • University Task Force on Structure and Governance

    • Committee to Evaluate BA/BS Degree Requirements

    • Served on Masters in Writing Committee

    • Served on GUR Evaluation Subcommittee of University Curriculum Committee

    • Served on Search Committee for Dean of Minority Affairs

    • College Promotion and Tenure Committee

    • President’s Strategic Resources Review Committee on Budget

    • President’s Faculty AD HOC Budgetary Committee

    • University Honors Board

    • University Retrenchment Appeals Committee

    • Fair Practices Committee

    • Commencement Speakers Review Board

    • Appointed by the NCA Executive Committee to the National Communication Association (NCA) Rapid Response Team

    • Elected to Legislative Council for several 3-year terms, National Communication Association (NCA)

    • 2017 – 2018: Eastern Communication Association (ECA) Organizational Voice Task Force

    • Faculty/Staff Campaign & Leadership Advisory Committee

  • Teaching Awards, Honors & Institutional Recognition

    • 2004: Winner, President’s Award for Distinguished Service (Towson University’s highest honor)

    • 2022 & 2004: Awarded the "Governor’s Citation" for Achievements in Higher Education and Service to Towson University

    • 2009 – 2010: Towson Student Government Association first Faculty Member of the Year (First Towson professor to win this award)

    • 2002: “Teacher of the Year,” Towson University, awarded by the Student Government Association (First such award given by the SGA)

    • 1976 – 1980: Won 4 Outstanding Teaching Grants from the Student Government Association (Awarded to ten of approximately 500 full-time faculty each year; most of such awards on the faculty)

    • 2004: Winner, Teaching Fellow Award, Eastern Communication Association (ECA); Permanent Member of the Teaching Fellow Committee

    • 1994: The Thomas Szasz Civil Liberties Award

    • 2004: Keynote Speaker and award-winner at the first “Towson’s Elite” Night

    • 2003: Faculty Volunteer Service Award

    • 1984, 1988, 1990: University Merit Award (Awarded to 30 faculty members each year)

    • 1982: Appointed to the Faculty of the Honors College, Towson State University

    • 1987: Sponsored the national winner in the Wadsworth Publishing Co. oratory contest

  • Vatz-Sponsored Awards & Endowments

    • The “Richard E. Vatz Agenda-Spin Persuasion Award” (Established Fall 2018): Supports writing and/or media work and pedagogy focused on the rhetor-as-creative-agent and the rhetor’s responsibility in a persuasion model. This award of $2,000, disbursed annually, is based on the rhetorical perspective argued in Dr. Vatz’s “The Myth of the Rhetorical Situation” and The Only Authentic Book of Persuasion: The Agenda-Spin Model.

    • “The Richard E. Vatz Best Debater Award Endowment” (Established circa 2014): A $2,000/year Towson University Award recognizing outstanding student debaters.

  • Selected Academic Guest Lectures & Hosted Speakers

    • Selected Class Guest Speakers (2018–2022): Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, Governor Larry Hogan, Former Governor Robert L. Ehrlich (who spoke twice-yearly from 1993–2022), and Comptroller Peter Franchot.

    • Hillsdale College: "Psychiatric Rhetoric and the Myths Involving the Insanity Plea," University Lecture (November 18, 2013)

    • Middle Tennessee State University: Windham Fellow Lecture Series in Liberal Arts, “Rhetoric and Impeachment” (March 4, 1999)

    • Annapolis Division of Innovation & Applied Research: Delivered "Political profiles in courage: a history and current application" to business/political leaders and members of the Maryland General Assembly.

    • Selected Institutional Lectures: Speeches delivered to the CCBC Catonsville (2008), League of Women Voters (2004 & 2009), New York Times Talk Lunch Series (2009), Baltimore Hebrew Congregation (2012), Dulaney High School (1999), Maryland Press Club (1998), Beth El Congregation (2004), and the African American Employees Association (1998 & 1999).

  • Published Books

    • Vatz, Richard E. The Only Authentic Book of Persuasion: the Agenda-Spin Method (7th Edition, Authors Press, 2022; 2nd Edition, McGraw-Hill, 2017; also published by LAD Publishing, 2021).

    • Schaler, Jeffrey, Henry Zvi Lothane, and Richard E. Vatz. Thomas S. Szasz: the Man and His Ideas (Transaction Publishers, 2017).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg (eds.). Thomas Szasz: Primary Values and Major Contentions (Buffalo: Prometheus Press, 1983).

  • Academic Editorships & Journal Reviewing

    • 1987 – 2022: Associate Editor, USA Today Magazine (Served until its closure)

    • 2001 – 2022: Board of Trustees Member, USA Today Magazine

    • 2008 – 2015: Editor-in-Chief, Current Psychology

    • 1999 – 2022: Editorial Board Member, Southern Communication Journal

    • 1999 – 2002: Editorial Board Member, Quarterly Journal of Speech

    • 2001 – 2003: Editorial Board Member, Communication Quarterly

    • 2002 – 2004: Associate Editor, Communication Studies

    • Selected Journal & Press Peer Reviewer: Quarterly Journal of Speech, Speech Monographs, Journal of Communication, Presidential Studies Quarterly, Journal of Applied Communication, Western Journal of Communication, Communication Studies, Transaction Publishers, and Johns Hopkins University Press.

  • Journal Articles & Book Chapters

    • Vatz, Richard E. “The Myth of the Rhetorical Situation,” Philosophy and Rhetoric (Summer, 1973). (Anthologized in William A. Covino & David A. Joliffe's "Rhetoric: Concepts, Definitions, Boundaries" [1995] and John Lucaites' "Contemporary Rhetorical Theory: A Reader" [1999]; translated and reprinted in "Rhetorica Scandinavica" [2000]).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Rhetoric and Meaning in Grading,” Florida State Communication Journal (Summer, 1974).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Theodore O. Windt. “The Defeats of Judges Haynsworth and Carswell: Rejection of Supreme Court Nominees,” Quarterly Journal of Speech (December, 1974). (Reprinted in Windt's "Essays in Presidential Rhetoric" [1987]).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Ron Rabin. “Dan Rather at George Washington University Law Commencement: Stroking and Nothingness,” Exetasis (June, 1975).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Ron Rabin. “The Critic as Rhetor,” Exetasis (1975).

    • Weinberg, Lee S. and Richard E. Vatz. “Szasz and the Law: An Alternative View,” Journal of Psychiatry and Law (Winter, 1976).

    • Vatz, Richard E. et al. ”The Vice-Presidential Debate and the Theories of Paul Rosenthal,” Exetasis (November 2, 1976).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Public Opinion and Presidential Ethos,” Western Speech Communication (Summer, 1976).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “A Szaszian View of Death,” Journal of Humanistic Psychology (Spring, 1977). (Reprinted in "Theta: A Journal of Psychical Research").

    • Weinberg, Lee S. and Richard E. Vatz. “Law, Language and Forensic Psychiatry,” Duquesne Law Review (Summer, 1978).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Rhetoric and the Law,” in Lee S. Weinberg & Judith W. Weinberg, Society and the Law: An Interdisciplinary Introduction (University Press of America, 1980).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Taking Law on Faith,” American Legal Studies Association Forum (Spring, 1980).

    • Weinberg, Lee S. and Richard E. Vatz. “The Mental Illness Debate: The Critical Faith Assumptions,” The Journal of Psychiatry and Law (Fall, 1981).

    • Weinberg, Lee S. and Richard E. Vatz. “The Insanity Defense: Szaszian Ethics and Epistemology,” Metamedicine (October, 1982).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “From the Therapeutic State to the Lucifer State,” in Trevor Melia & Nova Ryder, Lucifer State (Kendall-Hunt, 1983).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Insanity Plea Proposals: Confusing, Contradictory, and Self-serving,” USA Today Magazine (September, 1983).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “The Psychiatric Will,” Journal of Psychiatry and Law (Fall, 1983).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “A Pulitzer Prize for Cheerleading,” St. Louis Journalism Review (October, 1985).

    • Vatz, Richard E., Lee S. Weinberg, and Thomas Szasz. “Psychiatry and Media: An Unhealthy Marriage,” USA Today Magazine (May, 1986).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Politics and Psychiatry,” USA Today Magazine (July, 1987).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Is Compulsive Gambling Really a Disease?,” Postgraduate Medicine (October, 1987).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “The Critic as Rhetor: Psychiatry and Fantasy Theme Analysis,” Critique, Journal of Communication (Autumn, 1987).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “The Hyperactive Myth and Drugs in the Classroom,” USA Today Magazine (September, 1988).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Media and Polling: Measuring and Creating the Salience of George Bush as ‘Wimp’,” Mass Comm Review 1987 (May, 1989).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Alcoholism and the ‘Disease’ Metaphor,” USA Today Magazine (September, 1989).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “The Arrogance of Predicting Dangerousness,” USA Today Magazine (November, 1989).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “The Case of Marion Barry: Political Persuasion and Self-Doubt,” USA Today Magazine (September, 1990).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “The Conceptual Bind in Defining the Volitional Component of Alcoholism: Consequences for Public Policy and Scientific Research,” Journal of Mind and Behavior (Summer/Winter 1990).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Rhetoric, Biology and Power Seekers,” Politics and the Life Sciences (August, 1991).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Psychiatric Excuses for Criminal Behavior: The Public is Losing Patience,” USA Today Magazine (March, 1992).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “The Ethics of Negative Political Advertising,” in Peter Madsen & Jay Safritz, Essentials of Government Ethics (Penguin Books, 1992).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Is Mental Illness a Myth?” USA Today Magazine (July, 1993). (Anthologized in Joseph J. Palladino's "Abnormal Psychology 96-97" [1996]).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Refuting the Myths of Compulsive Gambling,” USA Today Magazine (November, 1993).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Con Side: Should Health Care Reform Include Parity for Behavioral Health Benefits?” Open Minds (February, 1994).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “A Windfall for the ‘Worried Well,’” Governing (May, 1994).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “TV on the Couch,” Forbes Media Critic (Summer, 1994).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “The Rhetorical Paradigm in Psychiatric History: Thomas Szasz and the Myth of Mental Illness,” in Roy Porter & Mark Micale, Discovering the History of Psychiatry (Oxford University Press, 1994).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Psychobabble Revisited,” Forbes Media Critic (Winter, 1995).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Hyperactivity?” Mothering (Spring, 1995).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Overreacting to Attention Deficit Disorder,” USA Today Magazine (Winter, 1995).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Rhetoric and Psychiatry,” in Theresa Enos, Encyclopedia of Rhetoric and Composition (1996).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Should We Destigmatize Mental Illness?,” USA Today Magazine (May, 1996).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Better Late Than Never (Analysis of media coverage of ADD),” Forbes Media Critic (Summer, 1996).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “PARITY: The New Buzzword in Mental Health,” USA Today Magazine (May, 1997).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “How Accurate Are Media Depictions of ADD?,” USA Today Magazine (July, 1997).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Critiques of Szaszian Criticism of Psychiatry: Nonengagement and Irrelevant Theses,” Review of Existential Psychology and Psychiatry (1997-1998).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “The Insanity Defense: The Unconscionable Impact on Victims of Violence,” USA Today Magazine (May, 1998).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “The Unabomber’s Twisted Saga,” USA Today Magazine (July, 1998).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Heavy Gambling is not a Disease,” in Rod L. Evans & Mark Hance (eds.), Legalized Gambling: For and Against (Open Court Publishing Company, 1998).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Television’s Assault on Civility,” USA Today Magazine (September, 1998).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Rhetorical Dimensions of Decriminalization,” in Jefferson Fish, How to Legalize Drugs (1998).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Should Mental Illness Fall Under the Americans with Disabilities Act?” USA Today Magazine (January, 1999).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. ”Dr. Kevorkian on the Air: CBS and ‘60 Minutes’ Drop the Ball,” USA Today Magazine (May, 1999).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Tipper Gore and the Overreaching of Mental Health Coverage,” USA Today Magazine (March, 2000).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “The Surgeon General’s Unkindest Cut,” USA Today Magazine (November, 2000).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “The Rhetoric of ADHD Disease,” USA Today Magazine (March, 2001).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Sexual Predator Statutes and Psychiatric Confusion,” USA Today Magazine (July, 2001).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Psychological Help for the Terrorized,” USA Today Magazine (November, 2001). (Reprinted in "Annual Editions, McGraw-Hill Higher Education" [March 2004]).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Murderous Mothers,” USA Today Magazine (2002).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Gambling, Psychology and State Politics,” USA Today Magazine (May, 2003).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Lately on Media Bias,” Qualitative Research Reports in Communication (Fall, 2003).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Getting Away with Murder: Vincent Gigante and Exculpatory Psychiatry,” USA Today Magazine (March, 2004).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “The Latest on John Hinckley,” USA Today Magazine (September, 2004).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Is a Mental Illness Rapprochement Possible?” USA Today Magazine (November, 2004).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Will Justice Be Served on Andrea Yates?” USA Today Magazine (March, 2005).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Therapy Overload on Campus,” USA Today Magazine (November, 2005).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “The Article Rewrite Assignment,” The Successful Professor (November, 2005).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “The Quandary over Mental Illness,” Annual Editions: Psychology 06/07 (Also featured in 07/08).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Of What Value are Public Opinion Polls,” USA Today Magazine (May, 2006).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Rhetoric and Psychiatry: A Szaszian Perspective on a Political Case Study,” Current Psychology (Vol. 25, No. 3, Fall 2006).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “The Devil Made Them Do It,” USA Today Magazine (March, 2007).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “What We Can and Cannot Learn From the Virginia Tech Tragedy,” USA Today Magazine (July, 2007).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Jeffrey A. Schaler. “Psychiatry’s Valid but Dishonest Reconsiderations,” USA Today Magazine (March, 2008).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “The Obama vs. Clinton Security Sweepstakes,” USA Today Magazine (May, 2008).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Arguably the Best in the History of the Game (on Roberto Clemente),” USA Today Magazine (July, 2008).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Candidates Need to be ‘FIT’,” USA Today Magazine (September, 2008).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Accommodating the Killer,” USA Today Magazine (September, 2008).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “NCA’s de facto Ideological Discrimination,” Spectra (January, 2009).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Jeffrey A. Schaler. “Through a Back Door Darkly: New Mental Health Insurance Requirements,” USA Today Magazine (January, 2009).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “The (Liberal) Beat Goes On,” USA Today Magazine (May, 2009).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Jeffrey A. Schaler. “A Depressing Outlook for Teenagers,” USA Today Magazine (July, 2009).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Parity’s Perfect Storm,” USA Today Magazine (November, 2009).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Doing Away with the ‘Only One-Fourth of One Percent Solution’,” USA Today Magazine (March, 2010).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “A Democrat Suffers Media Bias: Hillary’s Fight Against Pro-Obama Coverage,” in Theodore Sheckels, Cracked But Not Shattered: Hillary Rodham Clinton’s Unsuccessful Campaign for the Presidency (2010).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Mentally Ill Offenders Should be Held Responsible for Their Actions,” in Christina Fisanick (ed.), Crime and Criminals (2010).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Online Courses: Main Streaming the Phoenix Model of Inferior Education,” The Faculty Voice (May, 2010).

    • Vatz, Richard E. ”Bullying by Any Other Name,” USA Today Magazine (September, 2010).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “A Conservative Pundit in Liberal Surroundings: An Uneven Odyssey,” in Seth Kahn (ed.), Activism and Rhetoric (Routledge Press, 2010; 2nd Edition, 2020).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “The Insanity Excuse and Retrograde Thinking,” USA Today Magazine (March, 2011).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “The Politics of Rhetoric and Courage,” USA Today Magazine (March, 2013).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Jeffrey A. Schaler. “Therapeutic Theory: Psychiatry’s Irresponsible Deception (An expanded piece on the DSM-5),” USA Today Magazine (July, 2013).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “This is Insane,” USA Today Magazine (March, 2014).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Ameliorating (NOT!) Race Relations,” USA Today Magazine (July, 2015).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Voting Season Ventures,” USA Today Magazine (September, 2015).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Polling Place: No Choice at All,” USA Today Magazine (July, 2016).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “The Academically Destructive Nature of Trigger Warnings,” First Amendment Studies (Vol. 50, No. 2, Fall 2016).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “The Fatherless Pandemic,” USA Today Magazine (January, 2019).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “I’ve Got a Little List, With Apologies to Gilbert and Sullivan,” The Daily Squib (2020).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Crushing Conservatism In The Academy: A Case Study Of One National Anti-Conservative Organization,” The Daily Caller (February 3, 2020).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Identity Universities and the End of Academic Freedom,” The Daily Caller (June 23, 2021).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Whataboutisms,” USA Today Magazine (March, 2021).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Jeffrey A. Schaler. “Prolonged Grief Disorder,” USA Today Magazine (July, 2022).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Jeffrey A. Schaler. “Death for Those Who Inflict Death,” USA Today Magazine (July, 2022).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Closing a Conservative Chapter in Higher Education,” USA Today Magazine (November, 2022).

  • Literary & Scholarly Review Essays

    • Vatz, Richard E. Review of Marvin Karlins & Herbert B. Abelson, Persuasion, in The Speech Teacher (September, 1972).

    • Vatz, Richard E. Review of Murray Edelman, Politics as Symbolic Action, in Quarterly Journal of Speech (February, 1974).

    • Vatz, Richard E. Review of F.M. Kail, What Washington Said, in Today’s Speech (Spring, 1974).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Trevor Melia. Bibliographic Book Review of the Works of Thomas Szasz (Heresies; Ideology and Insanity; The Second Sin; The Manufacture of Madness; The Myth of Mental Illness; Ceremonial Chemistry) in Quarterly Journal of Speech (February, 1977).

    • Weinberg, Lee S. and Richard E. Vatz. Review Essay on Thomas Szasz's Myth of Psychotherapy, “Psychotherapy and the Three R’s: Rhetoric, Religion and Repression,” in American Legal Studies Association Forum (May, 1978).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. Book Review Essay (on the Works of Thomas Szasz) in Communication Quarterly (Spring, 1979).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. Review of Thomas Szasz, Theology and Medicine, in Philosophy and Rhetoric (Winter, 1981).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. Review of Thomas Szasz, Sex by Prescription, in Quarterly Journal of Speech (February, 1982).

    • Weinberg, Lee S. and Richard E. Vatz. Review of Raoul Berger, Death Penalties, in American Legal Studies Review (1983).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. Review of E. Fuller Torrey, Schizophrenia, in Quarterly Journal of Speech (May, 1986).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. Review of Ellen Plasil, Therapist, in Psychotherapy (Fall, 1986).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. Review of The Media Elite, in Quarterly Journal of Speech (November, 1987).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Trivializing Anti-Psychiatry,” Review Essay on Garth Wood's The Myth of Neurosis, in Critical Review (Fall, 1987).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. Review of Peter Stoler, The War Against the Press, in Southern Speech Communication Journal (Winter, 1988).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. Review of Robert Denton & Dan Hahn, Presidential Communication, in Presidential Studies Quarterly (Winter, 1988).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Metaphor and Law,” Review of Milner Ball's Lying Down Together: Law, Metaphor and Theology, in Law and Society Review (Vol. 21, No. 5, 1988).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. Review of William Rusher, The Coming Battle for the Media, in Quarterly Journal of Speech (November, 1990).

    • Vatz, Richard E. Review of Richard Berendzen, Come Here, in Psychotherapy (Spring, 1994).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Dershowitz’s Muddled Arguments Make Sorry Case for Book,” The Sunday Sun (November, 1994).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. Review of Alan Dershowitz, The Abuse Excuse, in Quarterly Journal of Speech (August, 1996).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. Review of James Q. Wilson, Does the Abuse Excuse Threaten Our Legal System, in Southern Communication Journal (Fall, 1997).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. Review of James Q. Wilson, Moral Judgment, in Southern Communication Journal (Fall, 1997).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. Review of Howard Kurtz, Spin Cycle: Inside the Clinton Propaganda Machine, in Quarterly Journal of Speech (February, 1999).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. Review of Leslie Stahl, Reporting Live, in Southern Communication Journal (Summer, 2000).

    • Vatz, Richard E. Review of Bernard Goldberg, Bias, in USA Today Magazine (May, 2002) and Quarterly Journal of Speech (November, 2002).

    • Vatz, Richard E. Review of Jeffrey Schaler, Addiction is a Choice, in Journal of Health Communication (2003).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Significant Psychiatric Recommendations Irresponsibly Made,” Review of Allan V. Horwitz & Jerome C. Wakefield's The Loss of Sadness, in Current Psychology (November, 2007).

    • Vatz, Richard E. Review of Bernard Goldberg, A Slobbering Love Affair, in Quarterly Journal of Speech (2010).

  • Newspaper Op-Eds & Editorial Commentaries

    • Vatz, Richard E. “No Mere Rhetoric,” The Baltimore Sun (July 15, 1980).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Conventional Eloquence,” The Baltimore Sun (August, 1980).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Which Past for President Reagan,” The Baltimore Sun (January 20, 1980).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “The Inaugural Speech: Reagan Warmed Over?” The Baltimore Sun (January 27, 1981).

    • Weinberg, Lee S. and Richard E. Vatz. “Nixon in 1980,” The Washington Post (January 16, 1980).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Reaganspeak and the New Imperial Presidency,” The Baltimore Sun (August 20, 1981).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Who’s Crazy? Forensic Psychiatry and the Courts,” The Baltimore Sun (June 2, 1982).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “The Tylenol Trial,” The Baltimore Sun (July 14, 1982).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Some Say Mental Illness is a Myth,” The Baltimore Sun (August 22, 1982).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Calling Behaviors ‘Illness’ Deflects Responsibility,” The Los Angeles Times (June 20, 1983).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “The Illness Copout,” The Baltimore Sun (August 17, 1983).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Why Not Sue a Psychiatrist?,” The Washington Post (August 29, 1983).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Reasoned Debate,” The Baltimore Sun (September 7, 1983).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “The Big Hang-Up (Campaign phone advertising),” Pittsburgh Press (November 15, 1983).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Ducking the Issue on the Insanity Plea,” The Baltimore Sun (January 22, 1984).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Measuring and Shaping Public Opinion,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (February 4, 1984).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “The Debates,” The Baltimore Sun (June 6, 1984).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Sexual Addiction,” The Baltimore Sun (June 27, 1984).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Campaign Polling,” The Baltimore Sun (July 27, 1984).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Presidential Debates,” The Baltimore Sun (September 27, 1984).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Getting Ahead (On political campaigns and polling),” The Baltimore Sun (October 18, 1984).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Inaugurals Past,” The Baltimore Sun (January 21, 1985).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Freud Reanalyzed,” The Sunday Sun (February 17, 1985).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “The ‘Meaning’ of the Hostage Crisis,” The Sunday Sun (June 30, 1985).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Alcoholism as Disease—The Indulgence Epidemic,” The Los Angeles Times (August 11, 1985).

    • Vatz, Richard E., Lee S. Weinberg, and Thomas Szasz. “Television and Psychiatry?” The Washington Post (September 15, 1985).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Psychiatry: Science or Politics?,” The Sunday Sun (January 26, 1986).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Word Traps,” The Baltimore Sun (March 19, 1986).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Is Gambling a Disease?,” The Washington Post (April 2, 1986).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Great and Not-So-Great Debates,” The Sunday Sun (June 1, 1986).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “What Lies Ahead for Polygraphers,” Los Angeles Times (June 22, 1986).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Not-So-Great Debate,” The Evening Sun (July 15, 1986).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Disputing Reality of Gamblers’ Illness,” The Baltimore Sun (July 23, 1986).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Senate Debate Turned Into Minor Chaos,” The Evening Sun (July 28, 1986).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Tests of Voting,” The Baltimore Sun (July 29, 1986).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Women, Politics and Psychiatry,” Los Angeles Herald Examiner (August 15, 1986).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “The Grandiose Claims of the ‘New Psychiatry,’” Newsday (October 3, 1986).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “The Myth of Tobacco Addiction,” The Washington Post (October 7, 1986). (Also published in "Chicago Tribune" [November 3, 1986]).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Reagan Should Not Testify,” The Baltimore Evening Sun (December 17, 1986).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “The Riddle of Colonel North: A Crazy-Brave Among Phony-Toughs,” The Washington Post (January 26, 1987).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “A Prescription for Disaster (Commission on Higher Ed),” The Baltimore Sun (February 17, 1987).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Yet Another ‘Most-Crucial’ Reagan Test,” The Baltimore Sun (March 21, 1987).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Science and Advocacy in the Courtroom,” The Baltimore Sun (April 18, 1987).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Selling the Myth of the Pathological Gambler,” The Evening Sun (June 22, 1987).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “The President’s Speech: Great Expectations, Small Substance,” The Sunday Sun (August 16, 1987).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “A Debate That Wasn’t,” The Baltimore Sun (September 1, 1987).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Polls: Was the Big Schmoke Lead Created or Discovered?,” The Sunday Sun (September 27, 1987).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Making Opinion Instead of Measuring It: The Perils of Asking if Bush is a Wimp,” The Sunday Sun (October 18, 1987).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Some Reflections on New Hampshire’s Vote,” The Evening Sun (February 18, 1988).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Dole’s Big Victory: It was in the Air,” The Sunday Sun (February 21, 1988).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “What is Alcoholism?,” The Sunday Sun (January 24, 1988). (Reprinted in "The Los Angeles Daily Record").

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “When to Release Criminally Insane?” The Baltimore Sun (March 10, 1988).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Notes on the Summit,” The Evening Sun (June 3, 1988).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “The Rather Tense Nature of Bush Interviews,” The Sunday Sun (June 12, 1988).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Rating the Speechifying,” The Baltimore Sun (July 23, 1988).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “A Problem, or is it a Sickness? (Dukakis Rumors),” The Baltimore Evening Sun (August 11, 1988).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Rating the Rhetoric,” The Baltimore Sun (August 20, 1988).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Quayle Failed. Does it Matter?,” The Baltimore Evening Sun (October 7, 1988).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “We Can’t Tell Who’ll Be Violent if Released,” Newsday (January 8, 1989).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “In Defense of the Motivation of Therapists,” The Sunday Sun (February 26, 1989).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Tower’s No-Drink Pledge Makes No Sense,” The Los Angeles Herald Examiner (March 2, 1989).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “There’s a New Skepticism Toward Alcohol as a Disease,” The Washington Post (March 7, 1989).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “After the Wilding, the World Asks, ‘Why?’,” The Baltimore Evening Sun (May 8, 1989).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Can Gambling Be Excused as a Disease?” The Baltimore Sunday Sun (July 2, 1989).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Going Hunting for Quayle Again,” The Baltimore Sunday Sun (July 23, 1989).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “The Problem with ‘Admitting the Problem’,” The Sunday Sun (November 19, 1989). (Published as "When an Admission Becomes a No-fault Claim" in "Cleveland Plain Dealer" [January 15, 1990]).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Guess-timates About Gambling,” The Baltimore Sun (January 24, 1990).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “A Perspective on Letters to Newspapers,” The Pittsburgh Law-Gazette (March 6, 1990).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Those Who Can Teach (Effect of Civil Rights Act on Hiring),” The Baltimore Sun (March 31, 1990).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “The Walters Interview: No Guts and Much Glory,” The Baltimore Evening Sun (April 10, 1990).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Public Apologies,” The Baltimore Sun (August 7, 1990).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “MADD’s Gentle Art of Persuasion,” The Baltimore Evening Sun (August 7, 1990).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “The President Escalates the Rhetoric in Baltimore Speech,” The Sunday Sun (August 26, 1990).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Teaching us Values and Calling it ‘Science,’” The Baltimore Sun (September 15, 1990).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “State of Mind,” The Baltimore Sun (November 13, 1990).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “The Expense of the Death Penalty,” The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (January 12, 1991).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Compulsive Gambling as a Phony Excuse,” The Wall Street Journal (July 3, 1991).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “The Smith Case: End to Rape Shield Laws?,” The Washington Post (September 3, 1991).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Mental Illness and Insurance,” The Baltimore Sun (January 11, 1992).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “New Study Provides Evidence Hyperactivity Overdiagnosed,” The Sunday Sun (September 13, 1992).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Presidential Debates Seldom Shake Solid Support,” The Sunday Sun (October 11, 1992).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Keno Krazy: Why ‘Compulsive Gambling Really Isn’t,” The Washington Post (January 10, 1993).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Incoming Presidents Labor with ‘an Inferior Art Form,’” The Sunday Sun (January 17, 1993).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Blanket Mental Health Coverage—Crazy,” The Wall Street Journal (April 14, 1993).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Coverage Only for the Most Severe Conditions,” The Baltimore Sun (June 8, 1993).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Media Make Risks Sensational,” The Sunday Sun (June 27, 1993).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Mental Health Myopia,” The Washington Times (August 17, 1993).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “The Insanity of the Ron Price Case,” The Baltimore Sun (August 18, 1993).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Not a ‘Victim’ to His Victim,” The Washington Times (September 19, 1993).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Mental Health: A Phony Crisis,” USA Today (newspaper) (December 2, 1993).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Separate ‘Mentally Ill’ from ‘Worried Well,’” The Los Angeles Times (December 13, 1993).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Making Maryland ‘The Therapeutic State,’” The Sunday Sun (February 13, 1994).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “How We Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Nixon—Well, Sort of,” The Sunday Sun (May 1, 1994).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Attention Deficit Delirium,” The Wall Street Journal (July 27, 1994).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Shapiro for the Defense,” The Baltimore Sun (September 2, 1994).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “To Clinton’s ‘Shrinks:’ Heal Thyselves,” The Baltimore Evening Sun (November 22, 1994).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “The Strange Case of Denver’s Lenore Walker,” The Denver Post (February 4, 1995).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Gambling is not Pathological,” The Baltimore Sun (October, 1995).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Good Reasons for Caution on Mental Health Coverage,” The Wall Street Journal (June 13, 1996).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. ”My Fellow Americans…(And all that),” The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (January 20, 1997). (Also published in "The New Jersey Standard").

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Muddled Concepts of Mental Disability,” The Washington Times (May 21, 1997).

    • Weinberg, Lee S. and Richard E. Vatz. “For Gun-toting Students, No Special Exceptions,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (April 29, 1998).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Not a Close Call,” The Washington Times (April, 1998).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Overreach on Mental Health,” The Washington Times (June 23, 1999). (Also published in "The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette" [July 8, 1999]).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “The Wrong Decision-Makers,” The Washington Times (August 8, 1999).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Satcher Report is Bad Science,” The Baltimore Sun (January 23, 2000).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Negative Campaigning,” The Hartford Courant (February, 2000).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “The Case Against John Hinckley’s Latest Request,” The Baltimore Sun (April 18, 2000).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Can’t Stop Negative Ads,” The Baltimore Sun (September 7, 2000).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Enter with Caution,” The Baltimore Sun (January 19, 2001).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Media Coverage of McVeigh,” The Washington Times (April 15, 2001).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Mother Must Answer for Her Deadly Choice,” The Baltimore Sun (January 7, 2002).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Debates May Sway Race for Governor,” The Baltimore Sun (April 2, 2002).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Primary Lessons,” The Baltimore Sun (September 13, 2002).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Compulsive Gambling Hyperbole,” The Washington Times (March 27, 2003).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Psychiatry in the Courtroom,” The Washington Times (May 21, 2003).

    • Vatz, Richard E. ”The Case Against Hinckley’s Plea,” The Washington Times (November 3, 2003).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “The Compulsive Gambling Myth,” The Baltimore Sun (December 4, 2003).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Primaries are Undemocratic,” USA Today (newspaper) (January 19, 2004).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “A Big Debate Over a Small Number of Votes,” Raleigh News and Observer (September 28, 2004).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Yates Deserves a New Trial, Then Prison,” The Baltimore Sun (January 12, 2005).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Tom Cruise is Right – Mostly,” The Gazette (July 5, 2005).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Silence on Attacks Against Steele Points to Racism, Maryland Style,” The Gazette (November 11, 2005).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Polls are Too Much with Us,” The Gazette (January 27, 2006).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “The System Goes Crazy Again: Insanity Pleas Redux,” The Baltimore Examiner (August 10, 2006).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Republicans Alienate America When Pandering to Base,” The Baltimore Examiner (August 16, 2007).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Why Cheney Was Right: Polls Shouldn’t Make Policy,” The Baltimore Sun (April 14, 2008).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Negative Campaigning Clarified: The FIT Test,” The Baltimore Examiner (July 14, 2008).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Jeffrey A. Schaler. “Parity Through the Back Door,” The Baltimore Sun (October 23, 2008).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “One Sick Prognosis,” The Washington Times (January 7, 2009).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “No Jail Time for a Young Woman’s Brutal Killer—Is This Justice?” The Baltimore Sun (August 4, 2009).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “In Md. Poll, Consider What Wasn’t Asked,” The Baltimore Sun (September 24, 2009).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Jeffrey A. Schaler. “Mental Health Trojan Horse,” The Washington Times (December 31, 2009).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Democrats Quick to Generalize About Racism,” The Baltimore Sun (March 25, 2010).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “O’Malley-Ehrlich Debate: Busting the Myths,” The Baltimore Sun (October 6, 2010).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Full-time Faculty Registration Advising: Only a Bad Idea,” The Towerlight (October 28, 2010).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Brain Disease vs. Mental Illness: Questioning Validity,” The Baltimore Sun (January 27, 2011).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “A Search for Excellence at Towson,” The Baltimore Sun (March 30, 2011).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “The Diversity Hoax: On Campus, Conservatives Need Not Apply,” The Baltimore Sun (June 23, 2011).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Death Penalty Opponents are Dingenous,” The Baltimore Sun (October 10, 2011).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Schurick’s Behavior Wrong, But Not Criminal,” The Baltimore Sun (December 11, 2011).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Baltimore Paper Defamed the Late Ron Smith,” The Washington Examiner (March 21, 2012).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Everyone Flip-flops – and So What?” The Baltimore Sun (May 4, 2012).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Romney Needs to Quit Whining,” Washington Examiner (July 23, 2012).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Don’t Cue the Wedding Bells Just Yet (On Polls & Gay Marriage),” The Baltimore Sun (August 10, 2012).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Szasz Turned Psychiatry on Its Head,” The Baltimore Sun (October 10, 2012).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Myth of Counseling as Cure to Mass Murder,” The Cleveland Plain Dealer (January 5, 2013).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Who Will Be Our Next Profiles in Courage?,” The Baltimore Sun (January 15, 2013).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Liberal Media Bias is Beyond Doubt,” The Baltimore Sun (March 18, 2013).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Gansler Hands His Opponents a Sword,” The Baltimore Sun (October 29, 2013).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “False Parity Between Mental and Physical Health Care,” The Washington Times (November 18, 2013).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Affluenza: Just the Latest Way to Shirk Legal Responsibility,” The Baltimore Sun (December 19, 2013).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Stigma Can be a Good Thing,” The Baltimore Sun (April 9, 2014).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “A Better Debate,” The Baltimore Sun (June 15, 2014).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “The Positives of Negative Ads,” The Baltimore Sun (July 24, 2014).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Maravene Loeschke Transformed Towson,” The Baltimore Sun (December 22, 2014).

    • Shellenberger, Scott and Richard E. Vatz. “Reinstate the Death Penalty, Maryland,” The Baltimore Sun (January 7, 2015).

    • Sinnott, Jan and Richard E. Vatz. “Maryland Doesn’t Trust State Employees to Manage Health,” The Baltimore Sun (March 13, 2015).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Paul’s Personality Problem,” The Baltimore Sun (June 11, 2015).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Trump and Carson: Unprepared and Unqualified,” The Baltimore Sun (October 26, 2015).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Can I Vote for Trump?,” The Baltimore Sun (June 29, 2016).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “The Problem with Trump’s Rhetoric,” The Baltimore Sun (August 11, 2016).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Donald Trump: Today’s Crazy-Brave,” The Baltimore Sun (October 11, 2016).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Is Putin Better as Trump’s Friend or Foe?” The Baltimore Sun (January 18, 2017).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Discrimination Against Conservatives in Higher Ed is a Mile Deep,” The Baltimore Sun (May 7, 2017).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Blame Baltimore Violence on a Lack of Fathers,” The Baltimore Sun (July 25, 2017).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “What if Paddock Did It Because He’s Evil?” The Baltimore Sun (October 10, 2017).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Pugh’s Squeegee Kid Solution Doesn’t Solve the Problem,” Maryland Reporter (November 27, 2018).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Professor Who Gives Easy A’s Is Hurting the Best Students,” Chronicle of Higher Education (August 23, 2018).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Hippodrome Incident Was Not Free Speech,” The Baltimore Sun (November 16, 2018).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “I’m a Conservative Professor. Nancy Pelosi is the Right Kind of Leader,” The Washington Post (January 6, 2019).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Student Evaluations Will Never Be Very Valid or Valuable,” Chronicle of Higher Education (January 21, 2019).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “The Mosbys: Another Low Point for Baltimore,” Maryland Reporter (May 8, 2021).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Discrimination Against Conservatives Ignored in Higher Ed,” Maryland Reporter (November 14, 2020).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Remembering Ron Smith: Talk Show Host Ever,” Maryland Reporter (December 13, 2020).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “WBAL TV’s Empty Mayoral Debate: Fiddling While Baltimore Burns,” Maryland Reporter (October 28, 2020).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Presidential Debate Moderators Don’t Hide Their Bias,” The Baltimore Sun (October 20, 2020).

    • Sauerbrey, Ellen and Richard E. Vatz. “Supporting Fathers Starts with Solving Nation's Violence,” Washington Examiner (July 2, 2021).

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Jeffrey A. Schaler. “Buffalo Shooting Makes a Clear Case for the Death Penalty,” The Baltimore Sun (May 16, 2022).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Some Thoughts on Brian Stelter,” Maryland Reporter (September 3, 2022).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Gubernatorial Debate Went a Little Bit Moore,” Maryland Reporter (October 13, 2022).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Towson University Lost a Great One in President James L. Fisher,” Baltimore Post-Examiner (September 30, 2022).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Evil Party, Stupid Party: Bad Choices on the Ballot,” Maryland Reporter (November 3, 2022).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Firing Professors Because Classes Are Too Hard,” The Baltimore Sun (November 2, 2022).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Republican Victories in Maryland Require Cutting Ties with Trump,” Baltimore Banner (December 16, 2022).

  • Political, Scholarly & Cultural Blogs

    • (Featured selections from Red Maryland and active digital publications)

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Conservative Pundit Endorsement of Brian Frosh over Jon Cardin,” (May 11, 2014).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Gansler for the Win,” (May 8, 2014).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Some Truths About the Value and Viability of the Mitt Romney Candidacy,” (March 7, 2012).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Reliable Sources Watch: Down-the-Middle Media Criticism,” (February 27, 2012).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Undelivered President Barack Obama Pre-Vacation Speech,” (August 21, 2011).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “The Difference in Principles in Arguments Over the Debt Ceiling,” (August 2, 2011).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Salon.com’s Michael Takiff’s Anti-Semitic Attack on Eric Cantor,” (July 23, 2011).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “WBAL’s Mark Miller: Competence, Judgment and Ethics,” (July 13, 2011).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “What I Learned at the MBRG Discussion on General Assembly Legislative Session,” (April 16, 2011).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Media Watch in the Race for Maryland’s Governorship: The Baltimore Sun,” (March 31, 2010).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Hasty Generalizations of Racism: Ugly Attacks on Tea Partiers,” (March 23, 2010).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “The Single Question Journalists Must Ask in the Last Hours,” (March 19, 2010).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “The Angry, Conflicted President Obama on Airline Terrorism,” (January 8, 2010).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “President Barack Obama and the Pending Catastrophe of Iran (Part II),” (July 10, 2009).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Egregiously Irresponsible Media: Iran Careers Toward Apocalyptic Crisis,” (July 3, 2009).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Pending Catastrophe: Incipient Failure of Anti-Nuclear Proliferation Policy,” (June 21, 2009).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Apologies: Erik von Brunn’s Apology for Holocaust Memorial Museum Attack,” (June 14, 2009).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “The Formerly Hilarious David Letterman: Now Beyond the Palin,” (June 12, 2009).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “An Unusually Good Day for The Washington Post and The Baltimore Sun,” (June 7, 2009).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “President Barack Obama in Egypt: A New Beginning,” (June 4, 2009).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Sonia Sotomayor’s Racist Comment: One Conservative Blogger’s Verdict,” (May 29, 2009).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Howard Kurtz and Reliable Sources (Part Two),” (May 24, 2009).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “The Smooth Obama vs. the Rough Dick Cheney,” (May 21, 2009).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “The Establishment War Values of President Barack Obama,” (May 16, 2009).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “The Journalistically Irresponsible Brian Williams and NBC Sanitized News,” (May 11, 2009).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Barack Obama’s Press Conference: Speaker Extraordinaire; Wonk,” (April 30, 2009).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Arlen Specter: Profile in Political Expediency,” (April 28, 2009).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “The Rhetoric of Torture, President Obama, and Banana Republic Laureates,” (April 24, 2009).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “The Maryland General Assembly’s Death Penalty Folly,” (April 18, 2009).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “President Barack Obama’s Inaugural: A Few Thoughts,” (January 20, 2009).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Despicable Racial Slurs: President-elect Obama and Right Wing Malice,” (December 28, 2008).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “The Horrible Murder of Aysha D. Ring and the Insanity of the Insanity Plea,” (December 8, 2008).

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Presidential Election 2008: Post-Mortems,” (November 5, 2008).

  • Conference Research Papers & Selected Presentations

    • (Comprehensive logging of research panels and papers across major communications assemblies)

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Presidential Ethos: The Rhetoric of Apotheosis,” Eastern States Communication Convention, 1973.

    • Weinberg, Lee S. and Richard E. Vatz. “Psychiatry and Crime,” Academy of Criminal Justice annual meeting, New Orleans, 1978.

    • Vatz, Richard E. Chair, “Thomas Szasz’s Rhetorical and Communication Theories and Their Applications,” ECA annual meeting, 1979.

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Rhetoric and Social Science,” American Legal Studies Association annual meeting, 1979.

    • Vatz, Richard E. “The Rhetorical Creation of Détente,” Speech Communication Association (SCA) annual meeting, 1980.

    • Weinberg, Lee S. and Richard E. Vatz. “The Insanity of the Insanity Defense,” Northeastern Political Science Association annual meeting, 1981.

    • Vatz, Richard E. Chair, “Symbols of Threat and Reassurance: Case Studies in Political Communication,” SCA convention, 1987.

    • Vatz, Richard E. Chair, “Language and Alcoholism: Alcohol and the Disease Metaphor/Model,” SCA convention, 1988.

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Media and Polling: Salience of George Bush as ‘Wimp’,” SCA annual convention, 1988.

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Alcohol and the Disease Metaphor: Veterans Administration Supreme Court Decision,” SCA convention, 1988.

    • Vatz, Richard E. Coordinator, “The Language and Persuasion of Hyperactivity,” ECA annual meeting, 1989.

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Hyperactivity and the Disease Metaphor,” ECA annual meeting, 1989.

    • Vatz, Richard E. Coordinator, Debate on Alcoholism as a Disease Metaphor, SCA convention, 1990.

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Public Opinion and Presidential Elections,” SCA annual convention, 1990.

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Predicting Policy from Presidential Rhetoric,” ECA annual meeting, 1991.

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Rhetoric and Mental Illness: Multiple Personality Disorder,” International Communication Association, 1991.

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Defining Volitional Components of Alcoholism,” SCA annual meeting, 1991.

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Mental Illness and Criminal Law: Shield to Sword,” Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, 1992.

    • Vatz, Richard E. Chair, “Stress, Social Support and Cogency of Specialized Appeals,” SCA annual convention, 1992.

    • Vatz, Richard E. “The Rhetorical Paradigm in Psychiatry,” SCA annual convention, 1993.

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Media Coverage of Psychiatry,” Popular Culture Annual Meeting, 1994.

    • Vatz, Richard E. Leader, Roundtable Conference on Psychiatry and Rhetoric, SCA convention, 1994.

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Critiques of Szaszian Criticism of Psychiatry,” (Top Three Papers in Health Communication), ECA annual meeting, 1996.

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. SCA Seminar in Rhetoric and Psychology, SCA annual convention, 1996.

    • Vatz, Richard E. “The Diatribe and Ezra Pound,” Eastern Communication Association, March 1997.

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. Rhetoric, Therapy and Culture, NCA National Convention Seminar, 1997.

    • Vatz, Richard E. Chair, “Coming to Terms with the Term, ‘Moderate’” ECA annual meeting, 1998.

    • Vatz, Richard E. Coordinator, “Rhetoric and Psychiatry: Persuasion and Communication Issues,” NCA convention, 1998.

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Critiques of Szaszian Criticism,” NCA Convention, 1998.

    • Vatz, Richard E. Chair, “Rhetoric and Politics in the Impeachment of President William Jefferson Clinton,” ECA Convention, 1999.

    • Vatz, Richard E. Chair, “Cynicism in Literary, Counter-Cultural and Academic Practice,” ECA Convention, 1999.

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Richard E. Vatz on Rhetoric and Psychiatry,” NCA National Convention, November, 1999.

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “Rhetorical Dimensions of Decriminalization,” NCA National Convention, November 1999.

    • Vatz, Richard E. and Lee S. Weinberg. “The Rhetorical Paradigm in Psychiatric History: Thomas Szasz,” NCA National Convention, 1999.

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Offbeat Rhetoric: Pat Buchanan and Reform Party Effects on the Year 2000 Campaign,” ECA Convention, April, 2000.

    • Vatz, Richard E. Seminar Coordinator, “Rhetoric and Psychiatry,” NCA National Convention, 2000.

    • Vatz, Richard E. Panel Coordinator, “Rhetoric and Communication Issues of the 2000 Election,” NCA National Convention, 2000.

    • Vatz, Richard E. Position Paper, “Negative Rhetoric in Campaign 2000: The Only Way to Go,” NCA National Convention, 2000.

    • Vatz, Richard E. Panelist, “Burke on the Couch: Psychiatric/Psychological Implications of Dramatism,” NCA National Convention, 2000.

    • Vatz, Richard E. “The Surgeon General’s Rhetorically Flawed Report on Mental Illness,” ECA Annual Meeting, 2001.

    • Vatz, Richard E. “The Myth of the Rhetorical Situation: A Contentious Reassertion,” NCA National Convention, 2001.

    • Vatz, Richard E. “The Rhetorical and Political Implications of the War on Terrorism,” ECA Convention, 2002.

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Military Confidence and Reassuring Rhetoric in the New Age of Terrorism,” ECA & NCA Conventions, 2002.

    • Vatz, Richard E. Keynote Series, “Argument for Qualified Support of the Death Penalty,” NCA Convention, Fall, 2002.

    • Vatz, Richard E. “PR and Persuasion Writing,” PRSA 2002 Conference, Baltimore, Md.

    • Vatz, Richard E. “A Conservative Commentator in a Liberal Media and Academic World,” ECA Convention, 2003.

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Security vs. Freedom; Some Rhetorical Mutual Exclusivity,” ECA Convention, 2003.

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Conceptual Ambiguity in OBRA ’93,” ECA Convention, 2003.

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Rhetorical Changes in Diagnoses and Treatment of ADD/ADHD,” ECA Convention, Spring 2004.

    • Vatz, Richard E. “The Rhetorical Challenges of Democratic Presidential Primaries,” ECA Convention, Spring, 2004.

    • Vatz, Richard E. “The Politics of Rhetorical Commentary,” NCA Convention, Fall, 2003.

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Bush’s War on Terror: Lessons Learned after Three Years,” NCA Convention, Fall, 2004.

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Media Commentary on the Governor Ehrlich vs. Baltimore Sun Controversy,” ECA Convention, Spring 2005.

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Assessing the Health of Academic Freedom: The Academic Bill of Rights Movement,” NCA Convention, Fall, 2005.

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Doling Out the Rice: Republicans Rich Array of Female Presidential Talent,” ECA Meeting, Spring, 2006.

    • Vatz, Richard E. “The Erstwhile anti-Public Opinion President,” ECA Meeting, Spring, 2006.

    • Vatz, Richard E. Coordinator, “The Rhetoric of Psychiatry: Persuasion and Communication Issues,” NCA Preconvention Seminar, Fall, 2006.

    • Vatz, Richard E. Organizer, “Challenges in Political Media Commentary,” NCA Convention, Fall, 2006.

    • Vatz, Richard E. Organizer, “Media and Political Rhetoric,” ECA Convention, Spring, 2007.

    • Vatz, Richard E. Panelist, “Political Responsibilities of Professor in Class,” ECA Convention, Spring, 2007.

    • Vatz, Richard E. Organizer, “Rhetorical Challenges and Election 2008,” NCA Convention, Fall 2007.

    • Vatz, Richard E. Panelist, “A Roundtable Discussion of the 2008 Election,” ECA Convention, Spring, 2008.

    • Vatz, Richard E. “A Rhetoric and Psychiatry: A Szaszian Perspective,” ECA Convention, Spring, 2008.

    • Vatz, Richard E. “William F. Buckley’s Rhetorical Legacy,” NCA National Convention, 2008.

    • Vatz, Richard E. Discussant, “Social Movements, Rhetorical Situations, and Bitzer-Vatz Exchange,” NCA Convention, 2008.

    • Vatz, Richard E. Chair, “The Obama and Republican Opposition Rhetorical Watch: Year One,” NCA Convention, Fall, 2009.

    • Vatz, Richard E. Chair, “Whither Ideological Diversity in the NCA,” NCA Convention, Fall, 2009.

    • Vatz, Richard E. “The Maryland Governors: Rhetorically Considered,” ECA Convention, April, 2010.

    • Vatz, Richard E. “President Obama’s Ethos in Relation to His Agenda and Spin,” ECA Convention, April, 2010.

    • Vatz, Richard E. “The Obama Political and Rhetorical Watch: Year Two,” NCA Convention, November 2010.

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Presidential Rhetoric and the Rhetoric of the 2010 Congressional Elections,” ECA Convention, April, 2011.

    • Vatz, Richard E. “The Diversity Hoax,” AAUP National Convention, Washington, D.C., June 10, 2011.

    • Vatz, Richard E. “The Tucson Shootings: Political Motives or Mental Illness?,” NCA Convention, Fall 2011.

    • Vatz, Richard E. “100 Years—Ronald Reagan's Influence Abounds, Save the NCA,” NCA Convention, Fall 2011.

    • Vatz, Richard E. Honored at the National Communication Association convention for teaching excellence at a “Teachers on Teaching” session (Fall, 2012). Delivered a dedicated seminar on his text, The Only Authentic Book of Persuasion (Kendall Hunt, 2012).

    • Vatz, Richard E. Chair, “Presidential Campaign Political Rhetoric and the 2012 Election,” ECA Convention, April 25-28, 2013.

    • Vatz, Richard E. Keynote Address, “Persuasion: a Revolt,” Southern States Communication Association Convention, April 12, 2013 & April 12, 2014.

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Does Affirmative Action Find a Manifestation in Obamacare?,” ECA Convention, Spring, 2013.

    • Vatz, Richard E. Organizer, “The Obama Presidency and Republican Opposition Watch in Year Five,” NCA Convention, Fall, 2013.

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Attacks on Academic Freedom Based on Accreditation, Assessment and Syllabus Control,” AAUP National Convention, Washington, D.C., June 14, 2013.

    • Vatz, Richard E. Plenary Session, “The Integrity of Dissent: A Lively Experiment on Our Discipline,” ECA Convention, April, 2014.

    • Vatz, Richard E. Seminar, “The Agenda-Spin Model: a Revolution in Persuasion,” NCA Convention, November, 2014.

    • Vatz, Richard E. “President Obama Rhetoric and Political Watch in Year 7,” ECA Convention, April 2015.

    • Vatz, Richard E. Seminal Panel, “Is Media Coverage of Politics Helping or Hurting Our Democracy?,” ECA Convention, April 2015.

    • Vatz, Richard E. Respondent, “Roots of Persuasion: Examining Rhetorical Persuasion through the Agenda-Spin Model,” NCA Convention, Fall 2015.

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Trigger Warning: Trigger Warnings May Compromise University Academic Freedom,” ECA Convention, Spring, 2016.

    • Vatz, Richard E. Chair, “The Trump Watch: Rhetorical Personality and the Presidency,” NCA Convention, Fall 2017.

    • Vatz, Richard E. “Secrets, Challenges, & Opportunities in the Political Communication Classroom,” ECA Convention, 2018.

    • Vatz, Richard E. “The 2020 Presidential Election: A Rhetorical Roundtable,” NCA Convention, 2020.

    • Vatz, Richard E. “To Rate or Not to Rate: Student Evaluations in a New Era,” NCA Convention, 2020.

    • Vatz, Richard E. “The Agenda-Spin Method in Political Rhetoric,” ECA Convention, 2021.

    • Vatz, Richard E. Chair, “The Last Trump Watch?—The Rhetoric of Reelection or Defeat,” ECA Convention, 2021.

    • Vatz, Richard E. “The Agenda-Spin Theory: The Ethical Solution to Political Rhetoric Prevailing Bias,” Duquesne Communication Ethics Convention, June 9, 2021.

  • Media Broadcasts & Broadcast Journalism Work

    • 2005 – 2011: Regular biweekly guest political analyst on WBAL’s The Ron Smith Show.

    • 2002: Chief Political Commentator for the Gubernatorial Election across WJZ-TV and WNUV.

    • Broadcast Debate Analyst: Provided broadcast analysis and commentary on Presidential, Vice-Presidential, and Gubernatorial debates for WJZ-TV and CBS Radio across election cycles (1984, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2012, 2022).

    • National Broadcast Commentator: Periodic live news appearances on Fox News National Network, ABC Radio News Network, CNN Radio, Voice of America, and local broadcasts including WMAR-TV’s Square Off, WBFF-TV, WTOP-Radio, and WEAA's Marc Steiner Show.

    • Debate Moderation: Officially moderated Congressional debates between Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger, Helen Bentley, and Jane Brooks (2002 & 2004), alongside State Senate debates between Jim Brochin and Martha Klima (2002).

  • Professional Association Memberships

    • National Communication Association (SCA/NCA)

    • Eastern Communication Association (ECA)

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