CNN hires Gen Z-focused finance contributor

CNN has added Kyla Scanlon as an economic contributor and analyst. 

Scanlon will focus on the network’s CNN Business brand and appear across multiple platforms. 

“Scanlon is an economic commentator and creator reshaping how people understand money and markets, educating and inspiring the next generation by making complex economic ideas clear, relatable, and meaningful,” reads CNN’s announcement of the hire. 

She has made a career of providing financial reporting targeted at Gen Z and has over one million followers across her socials as well as platforms such as Substack.

She also authored the best-selling “In This Economy? How Money and Markets Really Work” in 2024 and has been named to Barron’s 100 Most Influential Women in U.S. Finance for two years in a row.

Raised in Kentucky, Scanlon studied finance, economics and data analytics at Western Kentucky University, according to CNN.

Early jobs in her career trading options and selling cars sparked her interest in making financial journalism and literacy more accessible. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, she began posting content aimed at explaining how finance works using whiteboards and skits. 

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