Carvd N Stone’s Atlanta Panel: Black Women in News Share Career Strategies and Practical Advice

Carvd N Stone brought its Successful Black Women in News panel to Atlanta during NABJ weekend. The event drew media professionals and supporters for an evening of candid conversation about career survival and growth in journalism. Nyesha Stone, founder of Carvd N Stone, moderated a discussion featuring Samantha Dorisca (AFROTech), Tierra Smith (Black Enterprise), Dawn Montgomery (Black Press USA), and Nikki Forman (Amazon).

Panelists addressed pressures specific to Black women in media: newsroom layoffs, the blurred lines between journalist and influencer, and the need to rebuild or pivot repeatedly. Attendees used the room to trade real-world approaches and encouragement rather than high-level platitudes.

Practical approaches to branding and career strategy

Speakers emphasized visible, demonstrable work. The advice centered on three actions: 1) make your work impossible to ignore by excelling at it, 2) present a consistent personal brand so editors and audiences know what you offer, and 3) create alternative platforms when traditional outlets constrain your coverage. Stone described how building Carvd N Stone gave her editorial freedom and new business opportunities that a traditional newsroom role would not have allowed.

Founder's trajectory and concrete outcomes

Nyesha Stone launched Carvd N Stone in 2017 while in college, motivated by dissatisfaction with how Milwaukee outlets covered Black communities. She used independent publishing and brand-building to move across states, secure major interviews and festival coverage, land clients such as Amazon, raise and award scholarships, and establish a nonprofit arm, the Carvd N Stone Foundation. Her account was offered as a practical example of turning journalism work into multiple revenue and impact streams.

Actionable takeaways for journalists

• Build a public portfolio that shows beat expertise and range. Editors and partners respond to visible competence.
• Consider independent projects to expand what you can cover and whom you can serve.

• Lean into peer networks and events to swap contacts, contracts, and survival tactics.

The Atlanta panel functioned as both a celebration and a workshop: it highlighted successes and offered specific guidance for sustaining a media career amid industry upheaval. Speakers left attendees with concrete next steps on branding, independent work, and pragmatic use of new tools.