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Read the Washington Post online that Dorsher co-founded while attending graduate school at the University of Maryland.

Find out more about UW-Eau Claire's Communication and Journalism Classes available

For this professor, changing student's lives is key

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In a world full of people who let the door slam in your face after they safely walk through it, it can be hard to imagine someone would even consider dedicating an entire week of their life to helping  high school students.

Meet Mike Dorsher.

This week, Dorsher is running a journalism camp at University of Wisconsin- Eau Claire to introduce high school journalist students of color to the basic elements of news writing, reporting, and broadcasting.  

Born December 19, 1956, he grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota, raised by his mother and aunt. He is the older of two children. He graduated from Roosevelt high school, but that was only the beginning of a life of education. He feels blessed that he has been able to use his talents to develop and help people throughout his career.

 “From my first day at St. Thomas University, I knew my life had changed for good,” Dorsher said.

Dorsher had many job offers after he pursued his Ph. D, but the University of Wisconsin- Eau Claire was closest to his mother, who lived in Minneapolis and who needed his help. He and his wife, Sharon Kessler, are still helping his mother out today.

But that wasn’t the only reason he chose UW-Eau Claire.

 “I was impressed with the beauty of the campus, the way there is a river that runs through it … all the hills, flowers, and trees” he said.

Dorsher’s wife is also a journalist, working on the copy desk at the Star Tribune of Minneapolis. They have no children. In their free time they enjoy watching baseball games and biking. Meanwhile, Dorsher manages to make time to advise the UW-Eau Claire baseball club.

 Dorsher describes himself as an introverted, quiet person but notes the irony of his career choice. He spends most of his time lecturing, discussing, and talking out loud in front of people.

The first in his family to attend college, he got his bachelors of arts degree in journalism in 1978 from St. Thomas University in St. Paul and then earned his master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of North Dakota.

Early on, as a government journalist, he dedicated his life to keeping people informed.  Dorsher was a reporter for the Wisconsin State Journal and was among the first to teach reporting and editing online at Maryland. He completed his Ph. D in mass communication at the University of Maryland, College Park, in 1999. While in graduate school, Dorsher was one of the founding editors at one of the nation’s top-rated Web sites, washingtonpost.com.

His academic career has been as interesting as his career in newspaper and online journalism.

“One student missed a deadline to turn in an online course assignment. She was one of my best students… never had a late assignment. Three to four days later the assignment showed up in my e-mail,” he recalled.  “She told me she was under a polar ice cap on a submarine with no Internet connection.”

The student was a navy officer.

 “Alright…that’s a lot better than the usual my dog ate my homework excuse,” he said.

Dorsher believes two things make a great journalist – “curiosity and the desire to really want to help people.  Help (in making) choices of who to vote for, what car to buy, what concert to go to, and what to press the city council to do,” he said.

 “Journalism,” he tells students, “will only be a difficult career if one does not hunger to find out how things are done the right way,” Dorsher said. The meaning of being a journalist gets lost in the desire to be a celebrity journalist, he added.

Although “insanity” was the first word that came to mind when questioned about his inspiration for all the hard work put into the journalism camp, he is optimistic of the camps outcome.

“I have great hopes that at the end of the week the stories will be insightful for the next people to read, listen, and watch over the next years,” he said.

He is teaching and, as usual, helping others by generously putting much time and effort without pay to recruit students and mentors from Minnesota and all over Wisconsin.

“He’s giving kids a chance to experience a job, every part of the job, for a week,” mentor Leah L. Jones, photo editor of the Wisconsin State Journal said.

Not only has Dorsher inspired the students, he has all ready made an impact on the lives of the professional mentor journalists.

“It all makes me want to go back to my job and be a better photojournalist,” Jones said.

Dorsher has sacrificed much of his time and energy into this camp and will be satisfied as long as he has made a difference – no matter how small.

 “I believe that there is one person at this Journalism camp, be it a student or mentor, whose course of life will change based on their experience this week,” he said.

 “This camp is something I feel I was meant to do,” Dorsher said.

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