Cleveland State University students got an inside look at the evolving media landscape when staff members from Cleveland Magazine visited a Society of Professional Journalists meeting on March 5.

The panel featured editor Dillon Stewart, senior editor Annie Nickoloff and assistant art director Abigail Archer. They spoke with students about what it takes to succeed in today’s journalism industry, from building clips and landing internships to adapting across digital platforms.

CSU’s chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists co-hosted the lunchtime event, which drew students interested in reporting, design and media production.

Speakers emphasized a central theme: Journalism is no longer confined to a single format, it's now multimedia, and students must be prepared to work across multiple platforms.

Stewart, who leads the magazine’s editorial vision, told students that gaining early, hands-on experience is one of the most important steps toward breaking into the field.

“I highly suggest getting involved with student-run publications,” Stewart said. “That’s how I got my internship, and that’s how you build clips.”

He encouraged students to think broadly about what qualifies as a writing sample. While traditional published work is valuable, Stewart said less formal pieces, including blogs, class assignments or personal projects, can sometimes better reflect a writer’s voice and creativity.

“Sometimes those unfiltered pieces show more of who you are as a writer,” he said.

Stewart’s own career path reflects the importance of persistence and adaptability. He began as an intern at Cleveland Magazine in 2014, writing short blurbs and contributing to smaller sections before moving on to a trade publication. Over time, he built experience across different styles of writing and platforms, eventually returning to the magazine in a leadership role.

That range, he said, is now an expectation rather than a bonus.

“We’re looking for someone who can write a great story, report it and tell it across multiple platforms,” Stewart said. “It’s not just print anymore, it’s newsletters, social media, digital and beyond.”

Nickoloff expanded on that idea, highlighting the contrast between her previous work in daily journalism and her current role in long-form magazine writing.

Before joining Cleveland Magazine, Nickoloff worked at Cleveland.com, where speed and volume defined the job.

“Every day you’re writing, sometimes multiple stories,” she said. “You’re constantly reporting, turning things around quickly and keeping up with the news cycle.”

In contrast, magazine writing allows for a slower, more deliberate approach.

“With a feature story, you might spend months reporting, interviewing and shaping the narrative,” she said. “It’s a completely different mindset.”

Nickoloff said both experiences are valuable and, increasingly, necessary. Journalists today are often expected to move between breaking news and long-form storytelling seamlessly.

“You can’t just do one thing anymore,” she said. “Being adaptable makes you stronger.”

She also emphasized that storytelling changes depending on where the audience is engaging with it. A single story may need to be reshaped for print, web and social media, each with a different tone, structure and level of detail.

“You can tell the same story in different ways,” Nickoloff said. “What works in a magazine might not work on Instagram or in a newsletter.”

Archer offered a complementary perspective, focusing on the visual and creative side of the publication process. As assistant art director, she is responsible for shaping the magazine’s aesthetic identity, from designing page layouts to coordinating photo shoots and producing digital content.

Her work often begins with a concept, but she said the process is highly collaborative and rarely linear.

“We want everything to feel like us,” Archer said. “Even if there’s variety, there has to be consistency in how it represents the magazine and the community.”

Archer explained that cover shoots, in particular, require flexibility. While teams may start with a clear vision, the final image often emerges through experimentation and collaboration on set.

“It’s very collective,” she said. “Sometimes the shot you planned isn’t the one that works best, and you have to adjust in the moment.”

In addition to print design, Archer’s role includes hiring photographers and illustrators, editing video and contributing to the magazine’s social media presence, a reflection of how design roles have expanded in recent years.

“You kind of have to do a little bit of everything,” she said. “Video, social, design – it’s all connected now.”

She encouraged students, especially those interested in creative roles, to begin building a wide range of skills early in their college careers.

“Gaining as much experience as possible now will help you later,” Archer said.

Across all three speakers, the message was clear: the journalism industry is competitive, but it is also evolving in ways that create new opportunities for those willing to adapt.

“The jobs are fewer than they’ve ever been,” Stewart said. “But the opportunities are more diverse than they’ve ever been.”

For the students, the panel offered both a realistic assessment of the field and practical advice for navigating it, emphasizing experience, flexibility and a willingness to take on new challenges.

As the media landscape continues to shift, the speakers said success will depend not just on strong reporting or design skills, but on the ability to evolve alongside the industry itself.