Gen Z Journalist Talia McWright Balances Digital Storytelling and the Power of Print

In week two of Power 104.7’s Media Lab, hosts Istahil, Kimora and Gloria sat with Pioneer Press reporter Talia McWright. The young reporter shared how she’s using her voice as a young Black biracial journalist to tell stories that honor diverse communities and humanize people across differences. She shared her path into journalism, her drive to uplift underrepresented voices, and how she’s navigating the industry as Gen Z while keeping classic storytelling alive.

Talia McWright didn’t grow up in a family that followed the news, which she says meant missed chances to connect with her community. But with her love for writing and people, she found journalism was the perfect intersection, a way to be part of something bigger. Now, as a biracial Black reporter, she says she feels most fulfilled when her stories let people step into someone else’s shoes. She says good journalists are amazing at creating those intersections.

“We live in Minnesota, so we have a lot of different communities here, cultural, ethnic communities here. It's important to try and tell as many of those stories as possible, but also to humanize people so that there's more understanding that happens when we do tell truthful stories. That's something that I strive to do is create those intersections, have those really deep, beautiful stories that honor my subjects. That is something that I want to do,” Talia said.

Talia graduated from Bethel with a journalism degree, and she said college helped set her up for Pioneer Press. Some of her favorite moments were studying abroad and working on a magazine where she told stories about the people and places around her. Those experiences taught her how to lean into humanizing profiles — something she now brings into her work with a local lens.

“I have a much wider experience and I’m able to tackle a lot more because of it,” Talia said. “That made me a much stronger journalist and I've been able to just dibble and dabble in the things that are interesting to me.”

Digital media is reshaping old-school journalism, and Gen Z is leading the way, growing up with social media and phones attached to our hips with no press pass required. Older generations might side-eye social media as “not real news,” but Talia says if you’ve got a voice and something real to say, that’s powerful. Talia says there’s power in keeping print journalism alive because it’s the blueprint of the craft. She says that even as Gen Z lives on their phones, there’s a real craving for more analog experiences.

“There are ways that we can create that, whether that's online or with an actual paper, but there is value in that. I'm so grateful to work at a paper. I absolutely love it. And there's just nothing like the feel of a paper. I mean, you cannot replace that,” she said.

Not only does Talia enjoy classic reporting, but also has a soft spot for creativity.

“I love art. I love creativity, creative writing. That is a huge passion of mine. I love poetry. That is the essence of myself,” she said.

Her passion for poetry means acknowledging that writing is the core of poetry. Talia says she tries to write as much as possible outside of work. But as a journalist, writing takes most of her time, and it especially can get pretty boring when it’s your job. That’s why she resorts to poetry when she feels like her love for writing is slipping away. She also enjoys crafting, painting, and loves making jewelry, anything that moves her hands. 

Being the youngest person in her newsroom comes with challenges, but Talia has her own strength only she can reflect on—the ability to relate to the younger audience. She believes she has a lot of perspectives and wisdom to pass down as a young woman of color. Even coming across challenges, what keeps her resilient and overcome those challenges is the relationship she has developed with her editor, Jamie, who is very open minded and allows her to have open communication with him whenever there is a problem.

 “My team and I always have conversations and they're incredibly receptive and we make the story as full as possible at the end of the day,” Talia said.

Talia uses her voice like a tool. She believes everyone’s voice has power, the same way that her voice is a tool that she uses to speak up for herself and others whose voices aren't heard, and that every person is valuable because they are a human being. 

“My voice has power the same way that anyone else's does,” Talia said.

She heavily encourages the audience to build their portfolio at this right moment, to keep track of their editing if they love editing, to put it somewhere, in google doc maybe, and to not be afraid to have something to showcase. Talia believes the more things you have to show, the more you have the chance of reaching somewhere. She encourages the audience to take advantage of what they have now as social media is an easy way to build yourself and what you want to showcase to the world.