Fisher earned his doctorate in communication studies at the University of Iowa. He specializes in rhetorical theory and criticism, political communication, and argumentation, addressing in particular problems in reason and ethics.

Fisher has authored, edited, or co-edited five books. His 1995 book on the importance of narration as a mode of human reasoning, "Human Communication as Narration: Toward a Philosophy of Reason, Value, and Action,"has led to a fundamental rethinking of how people come to apprehend knowledge. He also is author of more than 40 chapters and articles.

He has won a number of awards for service, teaching, and scholarship, including the Speech Communication Association Distinguished Scholar Award. He has chaired 38 dissertations, four of which won awards for scholarship. In addition, he has held numerous professional offices, including editor of the Quarterly Journal of Speech and the Western Journal of Communication.