The Collegian and Journalism and Digital Media [JDM] department welcomes a new face to the staff for the academic school year.  

Dillon Carr, a reporter for the Ashland Source, joins the faculty as the advisor for The Collegian amidst the departure of the previous advisor, Ted Daniels.  

Carr has developed his craft over the years since he first began writing for the Ashland Source in 2013 and continued until 2015 when he was hired full-time.

He has had the opportunity to build his portfolio with a wide range of writing from agriculture and environment, and now covering Ashland County since his return in 2021.  

“I cover county government, city government, a little bit of public health, life, and culture sort of features. I have done some interesting features here or there,” Carr explained.  

During his time working with The Collegian, Carr plans to make an impact and guide the future of the JDM department to “owning their words.”

“A good goal would be to help shepherd young journalists to show them the ropes and show them what it takes to be a responsible journalist. What it takes to be accountable to your work,” Carr said. “I believe that when you put your name to a story, you are responsible for every single word.” 

The Collegian has since changed to a fresh look and format, adjusting from the newspaper style to a tabloid to keep up with printing demands. Carr plans to continue focusing The Collegian to its online counterpart, lowering the number of issues printed from biweekly to once a month.

Carr is optimistic for the future of The Collegian as the advisor, wanting to reach a broader audience with the online platform. 

“I think that dovetails into this desire of mine to make The Collegian airtight, to make it hold its own weight,” he explained. “To make it up there with the Times-Gazette, Ashland Source, and all the other professional newsrooms. The Collegian should be included.”