Caché McClay is that girl. The journalist and longtime BeyHive member landed the coveted role of Beyoncé Reporter at The Tennessean and USA Today in November 2023. Like the rest of the world, she saw the job posting online and immediately applied. “Honestly, this job is a dream come true. Never in a million years did I think that this lane would be created,” McClay tells Her Campus in an exclusive interview. “It’s still a little surreal that this is my job. I get to wake up every day and report on my favorite artist, and one of the most renowned women of our time.”
Of course, so many people wanted the Beyoncé beat. When the job posting went up in September, it made waves. Some people loved it, and others didn’t see the need to have individual reporters for artists like Beyoncé and Taylor Swift. “The reason why there is a space for this for Beyoncé is because she’s so impactful in music and beyond,” McClay says.
After the Beyoncé Reporter listing went viral, McClay was quick to apply. There were multiple rounds of interviews for the job, along with a submission video request where applicants had to share why they felt they were the best person for the role. “I humbly feel that this job was created for me,” McClay said in her submission video. She tells me, “I think in the submission video, I was authentic, and I was open about my appreciation and how I see Beyoncé as one of the [biggest] power players of our time,” McClay says. “It was kind of a lengthy process, but ultimately, it all worked out for me.”
When McClay found out she got the job in November, she was emotional and grateful. “I grew up with my older sister playing her music nonstop,” McClay says. “She was, and still is, my mom’s favorite artist, and now she’s mine. So, that is just a microcosm of Beyoncé’s generational impact.” As a Black woman herself, McClay says it’s incredible to cover such a trailblazer and Black global superstar. “She’s a luminary in the fashion world, she’s an economic engine, she’s a businesswoman, she’s an artist, she’s an activist, she’s a Black woman, and as a Black woman, I’m just so honored to be in this position,” McClay says.
Every day as the Beyoncé Reporter looks different for McClay. She’s been reporting on the artist for about four months, starting the job right after the Renaissance World Tour and going into the premiere of the highly-acclaimed Renaissance film. She’s already worked on some really creative content surrounding the star. McClay has talked to designers like Marie France Van Damme, who created clothing for the Renaissance World Tour. She also interviewed the family of the founder of Frenchy’s Chicken, one of Beyoncé’s favorite spots in her hometown of Houston, which Bey helped put on the map. Between her music, her Ivy Park Adidas collab, and her new hair care line, there’s always something to cover on Beyoncé. “Every day is different. The thing I love about Beyoncé is she always has something up her sleeve,” McClay says. “I have the space to really peel back those many layers of Beyoncé. She is impactful to so many communities worldwide. I can report from so many different places and spaces.”
McClay attended Howard University, honing her journalism skills and interning for high-profile companies like NBC Universal, where she played a part in covering the 2016 Rio Olympics. By the time she graduated in 2017, she was an award-winning journalist, receiving the NABJ Salute to Excellence Award for her package on President Barack Obama. She started out part-time in radio, got her first full-time job as an associate producer at Hearst Television, and later worked as a news writer for TMZ. Even with all her experience, she was still shocked to get the role of the Beyoncé Reporter. “This seems so fitting for me as a journalist. Not only with my skills and my background, but also as a Beyoncé fan and someone who grew up in a Beyoncé household,” she says.
McClay hasn’t met Queen Bey yet, but hopes to soon. She did, of course, go to the Renaissance World Tour, attending Beyoncé’s show on Sept. 4 in Los Angeles just a month before getting the job. “I went on her birthday, so that was amazing just to be there in that atmosphere,” McClay says.
To the college students who would love to have her job one day, McClay says “to dream big and never give up.” With her dreams in mind, McClay worked hard over the years to become the best journalist and person she could be. “I re-read my journal, and I always wanted to be in entertainment and journalism and merge those two worlds, but I didn’t start there. I feel that every single experience and internship made me and led me to be exactly where I am today,” McClay says. “So, work hard, and take advantage of opportunities and experiences you have in front of you.”