Scott Swafford is an associate professor at the University of Missouri School of Journalism and senior city editor at the Columbia Missourian newspaper. He worked as a reporter and editor at Missouri newspapers for 19 years, including 13 years at the Columbia Daily Tribune, before coming to the Missouri School of Journalism as a professor in 2003.

He received a master’s degree in journalism in 2012 from the Missouri School of Journalism. He earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology at Northeast Missouri State University (now Truman State University), graduating in 1984.

When Swafford is not mentoring students in the classroom or editing articles in the newsroom, he enjoys spending time with his family, whitewater canoeing and racing, deer hunting, as well as playing slow-pitch softball.

He lives in Columbia with his wife, Lisa Swafford. The couple have two children Quentin and Jacob.