Digiday’s WorkLife reporter talks to us about Gen Z and the workplace, the state of the media and being a woman in the newsroom

Jennifer interviews Cloey Callahan

Q: I’ve met a lot of people who studied journalism and went into PR, but you studied PR and went into journalism. Can you tell us about that journey? How did you get started as a journalist and why did you choose that path?

Cloey: Sure! When I went to college, I had no idea what I wanted to do so I didn’t declare a major right away. But then I started thinking about how it would be cool to have a career around posting for brands on social media, so I decided to study communications with a concentration in PR. With this route, I had to take intro to journalism classes at the small state school I went to in New York. It was in one of those classes that I turned to my peer next to me who wrote for the school paper and asked her how I could get involved too. I liked my journalism class and was seeking extracurriculars on campus. It was a win-win. I liked the school newspaper so much that I founded a school magazine that is still running today. It only made sense to declare a minor in journalism (and I minored in women’s gender and sexuality studies, too!). That required me to have a journalism internship and the rest was really history. I loved it and interned at three local publications during my undergrad. 

Why did I choose that path? I loved covering issues that wouldn’t be discussed otherwise, especially small town news that are serious issues for the constituents who live there. After I graduated, I covered local news in the Hudson Valley across eight counties. In 2022, I made the jump to cover the future of work at Digiday Media’s newest vertical WorkLife.

Cloey Callahan

Q: What excites you about the state of media today? Alternatively, what do you find concerning and why?

Cloey: I’m excited to see news being told in different ways. There’s nothing I love more than scrolling on TikTok or Instagram Reels and seeing the New York Times, CNN, AP News, etc, post informative and clear videos about what’s going on in the world today. It’s a great way to meet people where they already are. And as a journalist, we get to try our hand at more than just writing. WorkLife just launched our own TikTok account where we are doing just that. People say that media is dying, which is what I’m concerned about, but I believe it’s just changing. And then of course there are also concerns around AI. We’ve seen some media companies already not use AI in the best way (Sports Illustrated), and I’m concerned it will tarnish the reputation of media even more if publishers use it that way.

Q: You cover work, culture, tech, DEI, Gen Z and so much more for Digiday’s worklife.news. I’m kind of envious of your beat. 🙂 There’s so much interesting stuff going on here. How do you see AI impacting the workplace specifically in the coming months and years? Is Gen Z embracing AI?

Cloey: I don’t have a crystal ball, but it is true that AI comes up time and time again. AI has already impacted the workplace so much that people are working differently and overall more efficiently. But it’s also required a learning curve, whether that’s prompt engineering or navigating what AI tools are best to use. Some people have worried that AI could take over their jobs – but we’ve largely debunked that idea. However, I’m hearing new concerns more closely related to how it will impact wage growth. If AI can step in and complete tasks, will people see promotions as quickly? Will wage growth slow down? 

When it comes to Gen Z, my colleague Hailey Mensik wrote an extensive piece about how this cohort uses AI. It was part of a WorkLife special edition, which examined how the jobs and careers of Generation Z professionals will be reshaped and evolve in the AI-informed era. While Gen Z is embracing AI, and are largely okay with ever changing technology because that’s how they grew up, that doesn’t mean that they won’t need guidance around how to best leverage this technology. In fact, I heard at Charter’s 2023 Workplace Summit in the fall from an expert who said this cohort might have the hardest time using AI tools like ChatGPT. Why? Because what you’re really doing when you use these tools is delegating work. Gen Zers largely don’t have experience with that because they’re less likely to have held managerial roles at their age.

As a Gen Zer myself, I’ve actually not used AI as much as one might think. Here and there I’ll pull up ChatGPT if I need to find a different way to say something, but it’s few and far between. I believe usage depends on the industry as well.

Q: You’re hosting Season Two of The Return, a podcast about what motivates the Gen Z workforce. What have you learned this season? How is Gen Z influencing workplace culture today?

Cloey: It’s quite hard to answer this question succinctly, so what I’ll start with is – go listen to it and leave us a review! We had a blast recording this season, speaking to dozens of Gen Zers and experts who were from the other generations. It was especially fun because I’m a Gen Zer myself and I had some hunches about what to expect, but I was able to connect with the people I interviewed in a way I don’t think would’ve been possible if they were interviewed by someone from another generation. 

Everything I imagined was validated – Gen Z is a powerhouse that is influencing the workplace in practically every way you can imagine. They won’t work for companies that don’t align with their values; they don’t need (or want) to stay at a job for more than a year or two; they are okay with quiet quitting; they have side hustles; and most importantly – work isn’t their whole life, it’s reframed to just be one part of it. 

WorkLife has extensive coverage about Gen Z in the workforce, including a series that follows workplace-related trends on TikTok.

“While Gen Z is embracing AI, and are largely okay with ever changing technology because that’s how they grew up, that doesn’t mean that they won’t need guidance around how to best leverage this technology.”

Q: Earlier this month, you wrote about workplace-related legislation that is going into effect in 2024. You cover minimum wage increases, paid family and sick leave, non-compete agreements and salary transparency. Are you finding these will have impacts on pay equity for women? If so, in what ways? 

Cloey: Yes! The minimum wage increases had a huge impact on pay equity for women. This is from the Economic Policy Institute: Women make up more than half (57.9%) of workers getting an increase on January 1. And even more impactful for working mothers: 

“These increases will also bring important benefits to working families. More than a quarter (25.8%) of affected workers are parents, or more than 2.5 million people. In total, 5.6 million children live in households where an individual will receive a minimum wage increase.”

Women are more often the primary caregivers – whether that be to an elderly family member or children – which is why additional paid leave is especially beneficial to them as well. 

Finally, in California, a new law provides a leave of absence for a reproductive loss event, including the final day of a failed adoption, failed surrogacy, miscarriage, stillbirth or unsuccessful assisted reproduction. That will have a huge impact on women.

Q: What’s your advice for other women who are hoping to pursue a career as a journalist?

Cloey: Meet as many people in the industry as you can, ask for advice, create your own “board of directors,” AKA a squad of mentors and dive in head first. It’s an industry that often feels dominated by men, but there are communities for women in media (like this one) that you can find solace in. Even reach out to a journalist you admire and ask them for their tips. In my career, which is still young, I’ve already had to deal with my fair share of men who seemed to misjudge my capabilities. Don’t let this get to you and believe in yourself.

Q: We host a popular Book Club for women in tech and media. What are you reading?

Cloey: Whenever I can escape from work-related content, I do. I just finished my first Colleen Hoover book – Verity – and that was a page turner. And during the holidays I read Big Swiss by Jen Beagin. It’s based in Hudson, NY, not far from where I’m from in the Hudson Valley, so I really enjoyed it. Books like these are the perfect way to unwind after reading about work all day long. The next book on my list is the sequel to Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive by Stephanie Land, Class. The first book lives in my brain.