Following a stint as a prosecuting attorney, Cheyna became a journalist in 2016. She started her career as a political reporter for the NPR affiliate, the Michigan Public Radio Network and has been a guest on popular shows such as 1A, Here and Now, and All Things Considered. Cheyna moved on to print for a time as an investigative and environmental journalist for Michigan's MLive news outlet.

She is now a senior producer for Slate where she is the producer and frequent host of the gender and feminism podcast, The Waves. She also produces other shows for Slate, such as Political Gabfest and has worked on several podcast development projects for Slate.

Cheyna lives in Michigan with her husband and scrappy daughter. She is also the author of Cold Cases: A True Crime Collection, published with Ulysses Press.