Wall Street Journal reporter Lauren Weber is always on the hunt for irresistible stories about work.
“There are a lot of parts of my job that I really love,” she says. “But I mostly feel privileged that I get to spend my days talking to interesting, smart people who have important things to say about what’s happening in the world and where the world is going—specifically where the workplace is going, because that’s what I cover. I get to draw on that curiosity.”
That curiosity brought the corporate bureau reporter to the Wisconsin School of Business earlier this year as the school’s Business Writer in Residence, spending the better part of a week immersed in all things Business Badger. While at the school, she facilitated three panels on the intersection of work, society, and leadership; met with WSB faculty and staff; toured Grainger Hall’s departments and centers including the Multicultural Center, Career Forward, and the Small Business Development Center; and connected with MBA and MS students. Weber also visited the business learning community for undergraduates, Business Connect, and spoke to journalism students at the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Journalism and Mass Communication.
One of the primary objectives of WSB’s Business Writer in Residence program—part of campus’ larger Journalist in Residence program—is to connect business journalists with faculty experts. This knowledge exchange goes beyond a simple quote; faculty have the chance to dive into their work and share evidence-based perspectives with reporters who understand the business landscape.
While at WSB, Weber met with faculty who shared their expertise on a variety of topic ranging from accounting and compensation to marketing to management and human resources. Since her visit, Weber has already reconnected with assistant professor Ivy Feng for a story on diversity goals in corporations’ annual reports.
When asked about what trend in business fascinates her and why, Weber said it was hard to select just one. Climate change, generative AI, and the culture of work all stand out.
“The last one, I think, is about something that’s a little bit more human; it’s everything from work-life balance and the role of work in our lives and the work preferences people have to mental health and how companies have had to contend with mental health as a workplace issue,” she says. “That’s something that I write about, and I talk to people about a lot. I think these three things—and they’re all happening on different scales, generative AI, climate change, and these very human issues around wellbeing and work and what role work plays in our lives—these are all three areas that are just continually exciting.”
Watch Weber discuss potential impacts of generative AI on the workforce in this brief video:
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