Teacher strives to keep flame of journalism lit

Michelle Bally is keeping the flame of journalism lit at Dixon High School.

Bally serves as publications instructor for the class that publishes the monthly Dixini newspaper and the school’s Dixonian yearbook.

“I think it’s important that responsible journalism is fostered in young people,” says Bally, now in her 17th year at the school.

In addition to the publications class, she teaches classes in English classes and advanced placement in United States history. But journalism is her passion.

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The Dixon High School publications class talks about current events Friday, April 22, 2022. Instructor Michelle Bally (left), Ashlyn Neville, Arielle Rockwood, Autumn Swift, Grace Ferguson, Carson Faley and Emiah Diaz are seen in discussion. (Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@shawmedia.com/credit)

Before becoming a teacher, however, she was a reporter and then editor at newspapers in the Wisconsin communities of Black River Falls and Whitewater.

“My personal interest is in journalism,” Bally says. “It’s nice to combine my love of reporting, sharing my experiences, working with kids to come up with good stories and opinion pieces, and to share that.”

Bally observed that teens have the instincts for journalism: “Students in social media are chronicling parts of their life every day.”

The key is fostering that into productive outlets: teaching the skills of interviewing, critical thinking, writing and a little bit of photography.

“The role of journalism in the world has changed a little bit,” she says. “It’s harder to teach kids that journalism is a noble profession. It’s a responsibility more than anything else.”

For the newspaper, she asks the class to cover stories that are of interest to the students. The product of their efforts appears as an insert in the Telegraph.

The class meets daily during the fourth hour. Bally says there are 12 students in this semester’s course; some years that have been as many as 25. As an elective that can be taken all four years, however, it is scheduled at the same time as other electives.

One of the rewarding aspects of teaching journalism is helping the students assemble a portfolio of the writing and creative efforts. It’s a skill set that Bally says helps graduates regardless of their career choice: “A lot of them say, the style of writing they learn in publications allows them to be more focused in their writing.”

Production of the yearbook has its own challenges. Sales are down; it goes for $50 for a 188-page product. In order to incorporate spring activities, the final 20 pages are done the following fall. The publications class provides candid photography for the yearbook, but it also includes photography from another elective class: digital media.

But it is also a creative exercise. Students brainstorm on the design and the typography. They consider the pacing of the publication, deciding where the sections on clubs, athletics and class photos go. Each year has an overall theme. The layout is done digitally through a proprietary program provided by the yearbook’s publishing company.

Bally expects to continue teaching another 10 or 12 years. “I wouldn’t mind doing some of my own writing,” she says.

Until then, she’ll continue as the guiding light for the school’s publications.