Capturing the good in every community

For decades, Steve Jessmore built a career focused on the moments many people overlook — small acts of kindness, everyday life in local communities and the stories that connect people to one another.

Now, the Michigan Journalism Hall of Fame is recognizing that work.

Jessmore, a Central Michigan University alumnus and longtime photojournalist who later served at CMU as a photographer, editor and professor, has been selected as part of the Hall of Fame’s 2026 class. The honor celebrates journalists who have made extraordinary contributions to the profession and helped elevate journalism across the state.

For Jessmore, the recognition still feels surreal.

“I don’t know if it’s sunk in yet,” he said. “It was a surprise. It’s a real honor. There’s been a lot of great journalists before me. I hope I measure up. I’m so humbled by this.”

Finding his calling at CMU

Jessmore arrived at CMU with a very different career path in mind.

Originally, he chose Central in part because of its size and the opportunity to join the Honors Program. The environment, he believed, would help him focus on his studies, with a plan to pursue a pre-med or pre-dental degree.

That plan changed during his freshman year.

“I took 18 and 21 credits my freshman year,” he said. “The last three credits was a photojournalism class. And that was all she wrote. It was just for me. It was a passion from the beginning.”

Although CMU did not have a dedicated photojournalism program at the time, Jessmore built his foundation through journalism classes and hands-on experience. He worked for CM Life, where older students helped him learn the craft before he eventually moved up through the ranks.

“CMU was so great because early on I could get involved,” he said. “I came on as a sophomore, and some seniors showed me the ropes. When they graduated, I climbed the ladder. I really enjoyed it there.”

Summers were spent interning and working at Michigan newspapers, including the Bay City Times, The Morning Sun and The Saginaw News, experiences that helped him sharpen his skills and build a portfolio.

“I was ramping up to be a journalist,” Jessmore said. “I loved meeting people, being in the front row at things and watching events unfold.”

A career focused on community

Jessmore’s professional journey began during a difficult time for journalism. The early 1980s recession made finding a job challenging, and it took nearly three years after graduation for him to land a full-time position.

In the meantime, he worked at his father’s business, Saginaw Photo, while continuing to photograph on nights and weekends.

“I worked 50 out of 52 weekends,” he said. “I was working most nights after working full time during the day. But it was a great experience. I photographed all the things that happened at odd hours.”

That work ethic helped launch a career that would span nearly four decades in journalism, including long tenures in mid-Michigan communities such as Saginaw, Bay City and Flint. He also spent 5 years working as the university photographer and editor at CMU.

Jessmore said he was often encouraged to move to larger markets but chose instead to remain close to home.

“I worked 15 years in my hometown,” he said. “It was wonderful being a community photojournalist.”

His approach centered on storytelling — particularly long-term photo essays that highlighted resilience and humanity.

“My priority was to try to tell positive community stories,” he said. “I tried to find things that had inspiring outcomes or inspiring paths.”

Telling hopeful stories

While working at the The Flint Journal, Jessmore created a project that perfectly captured his philosophy.

The feature, titled Sense of Community, ran on Page 5 of the Sunday newspaper and highlighted everyday acts of kindness and service taking place across the region.

At a time when Flint often made national headlines for negative reasons, Jessmore sought to balance the narrative.

“I liked to find the positive in the negative,” he said. “I didn’t sugarcoat things, but I knew there was more good than bad in places. I wanted people to see that.”

His work gained national recognition as well. In 1996, Jessmore received the prestigious Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award for his photo essay “Blind Faith,” which focused on the struggles of disadvantaged communities.

A lifelong photographer

Even after stepping away from daily newsroom work, Jessmore’s passion for photography has never faded.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, he turned his lens toward wildlife photography, particularly birds. Within a year, his images earned national recognition in the prestigious Audubon Photography Awards.

He also returned to CMU as a professor, helping mentor the next generation of journalists — something he considers one of the most rewarding aspects of his career.

“I was in charge of internships at my newspapers, so mentoring students was always a big part of what I did,” he said. “It’s incredibly fulfilling to see the people you helped go on and do great things.”

Still a photojournalist at heart

Despite his many accomplishments and honors, including induction into the CMU Media Hall of Fame in 2007, Jessmore says he still identifies the same way he did when he first picked up a camera.

“I still consider myself a photojournalist,” he said. “Ninety-nine percent of the time, I’m capturing real moments and real actions.”

That commitment to authenticity — and to telling meaningful stories close to home — is what ultimately led to his Hall of Fame recognition.

Jessmore will be formally inducted into the Michigan Journalism Hall of Fame during a ceremony April 19 in East Lansing.

Looking back, he describes his career simply.

“It was an incredible career,” he said. “I loved every minute of it.”