COMMENTARY: While a student reporter at Ohio State University, Larry Burriss covered the university’s Big Ear radio telescope, which later captured the mysterious "Wow Signal." This unexplained signal, possibly extraterrestrial in origin, remains a subject of debate among scientists. No a professor at Middle Tennessee State University, Dr. Burriss recently reflected on a Canadian government's release of a photograph of a downed "object," withheld initially to avoid public confusion. He also discussed conflicting opinions on how to handle evidence of extraterrestrial life, from immediate public release to concerns about global instability. With today's media commentary, here's Dr. Burriss... Click here to hear more from Dr. Larry Burriss.

About Dr. Burriss - Larry Burriss, professor of journalism, teaches introductory and media law courses. At the graduate level he teaches quantitative research methods and media law. He holds degrees from The Ohio State University (B.A. in broadcast journalism, M.A. in journalism), the University of Oklahoma (M.A. in human relations), Ohio University (Ph.D. in journalism) and Concord Law School (J.D.). He has worked in print and broadcast news and public relations, and has published extensively in both academic and popular publications. He has won first place in the Tennessee Associated Press Radio Contest nine times. Dr. Burriss' publications and presentations include studies of presidential press conferences, NASA photography, radio news, legal issues related to adolescent use of social networking sites, legal research, and Middle Earth.

Dr. Burriss has served as director of the School of Journalism, dean of the College of Mass Communication and president of the MTSU Faculty Senate. He was appointed by Gov. Phil Bredesen to serve on the Tennessee Board of Regents. He was a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force and served on active duty in Mali, Somalia, Bosnia, Central America, Europe and the Pentagon.