The Calhoun County Journal has been a family affair for more than half a century now. Bruce’s Jo Ann Denley has been around for a majority of it.
Denley’s late husband Gale established the Journal in 1953 with his parents Sellers and Maggie Ellen Denley.
Gale and Jo Ann married in 1955 and moved to Bruce in 1962.
She had always been in and out of The Journal subconsciously learning how the newsroom operated, photos were developed, and the newspaper was put together. Sometimes, as a former English teacher, she would even be called in as a “set of fresh eyes” to help copy read articles.
It wasn’t until 1973, after their last of three daughters went to college that she entered The Journal newsroom full time. She loved it.
“Gale did not tell me how wonderful journalism was,” Denley laughed.
Once in the newsroom, Denley helped cover most topics and happenings and she did say weather was always important in a farming community.
When Denley first entered the newsroom everything was done by hand, from writing the articles to producing the paper.
“I hand wrote stories, and the way you edited was a pair of scissors and scotch tape,” Denley said.
Eventually, the office would get a typewriter Denley could use, then a large computer, then a more up-to-date one, continuing the cycle as technology advanced.
With the changes in technology, the newspaper would be sent to print elsewhere.
“It used to be a very dirty process,” Denley said. “Walking by the printer, ink would get on your clothes, and the only way to get it out was with gas.”
Journal founders Sellers, Jo Ann, Gale and Maggie Ellen Denley.
When The Journal moved its printing to The Oxford Eagle, it allowed for printing more pictures in the paper. That’s when the recognizable half-page front picture with four stories below it began. That, like Denley, hasn’t left.
When The Journal’s only photographer other than Gale, Tommy Hallum, was elected Chancery Clerk, Denley knew she would have to help with photos from then on.
She had never gone to school for journalism so she opted to take a photography class at Itawamba Community College in her spare time. In the class, she learned techniques for taking strong photographs and how to develop film in the darkroom.
“That did not sit well with my husband,” Denley said. He had taught hundreds of photography classes to his students and didn’t understand why she went elsewhere.
At the time, Gale was teaching journalism at the University of Mississippi as well as supervising The Daily Mississippian at the Student Media Center, which is now named after him.
Denley said by the time her husband came home after working at the student newspaper, it would be the late hours of the night so she went to Itawamba.
After her class, Denley dove into the photography side. Some of her favorite memories were photographing the high school football games.
On the sidelines or in the end zone, photographers can find themselves accidentally in the action and Denley did.
“I was at Bruce and I saw the players running toward me so I started running,” Denley said. “They did see me and stopped and slid, but the flash on the camera broke.”
Writing was always her favorite task though.
“I just loved being a journalist,” Denley said. She said writing stories afforded her opportunities she wouldn’t have had otherwise.
After almost three decades, Denley stopped working full time at the newspaper in 2001. She still occasionally writes or takes photographs but not very often. She does visit the office almost every day it’s open.
“I love the work so much that I would go back tomorrow if I could,” Denley said.