Life After News

Jason Ball
  • 4.6 (16)
  • CAREERS

What happens when the newsroom lights go out—and life begins again? Life After News explores the raw, funny, and deeply human stories of journalists who’ve walked away from the adrenaline of breaking news to reinvent themselves in surprising ways. Hosted by former TV news director Jason Ball, the podcast goes behind the headlines to talk with anchors, reporters, producers, and executives about identity, resilience, and what it takes to start over. From career pivots to personal awakenings, these conversations reveal how the skills learned under deadline pressure translate into entirely new chapters of life. It’s not just about leaving the news—it’s about discovering what comes after. Whether you’re in media, on the edge of a career change, or just fascinated by reinvention, Life After News is your invitation to listen in, learn, and maybe imagine your own next chapter.

  1. 20H AGO

    🎙️ Lora McLaughlin Peterson returns with LORIFIED: The Cookbook…and other updates

    Send us a text Life After News has some big updates, and this episode is a perfect example of why. You never really know where this road leads until you look up and realize someone took a local TV segment, turned it into a digital brand, and then turned that into a full-blown cookbook. Lora McLaughlin Peterson is back, and she’s pulling back the curtain on what it really takes to get a cookbook from idea to your kitchen counter. Spoiler: it’s not “throw some recipes together and send it to a printer.” It’s a year-and-a-half grind, recipe testing, precision measurements, outside editors, photo shoots that feel like movie production, and a full marketing rollout leading to publication. Plus: another former Life After News guest makes a major announcement. Byron Lane is launching a new project inspired by Carrie Fisher’s iconic advice: take your broken heart and make art. In this episode 🍳 Lora McLaughlin Peterson: LORIFIED: The Cookbook Lora shares the wild behind-the-scenes reality of cookbook publishing, including: How the book deal came together through a network of supportive women in publishingWhy she had to develop a 100-recipe proposal before anyone could even bidThe slow, meticulous pace of publishing compared to the newsroom “right now” mindsetWhat it’s like having an outside tester recreate your recipes (and ask, “Wait… what is orange fluff supposed to be?”)Why “measure with your heart” does not fly in a cookbookThe full-on production process: food stylist, set stylist, photographer, studio days, and shooting at her houseHer approach: approachable meals, recognizable ingredients, minimal fuss, and giving people time back📸 A cookbook where every recipe has a photo Lora insists on zero guesswork. Every recipe gets a picture, so you know exactly what you’re aiming for. 🎁 Holiday sanity tips from Lora For anyone spiraling two days before Christmas: Use gift bags. Stop trying to make wrapping your personality.Don’t cook everything from scratch.Make the one or two things your family truly cares about and outsource the rest (Costco/Sam’s/deli trays are not cheating).🎄 Lora’s traditions Red velvet pancakes on Christmas morningPrime rib (smoked on the Weber) as a once-a-year holiday flexOne gift on Christmas EveA full house, chaotic energy, and leaning into the “realness” of itMajor Life After News update: Byron’s announcement Byron shares a new creative pivot rooted in something Carrie Fisher told him—and everyone—over and over:  “Take your broken heart and go make art.” He’s launching a project called Byrontology, designed for people who are creative (or existentially exhausted) and want to turn rejection, despair, and career heartbreak into meaning and momentum—with some humor along the way. Links & where to follow Pre-order LORIFIED: The Cookbook Go to lorafied.com and hit the pre-order buttonAvailable through major retailers (Walmart, Target, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and more)Follow Lora Instagram + TikTok: @lorafiedWatch for recipe rollouts starting in the months leading up to the book launchByron / Byrontology Find Byrontology via Byron’s link in profile (as mentioned in the episode)If you liked this episode Rate + review the showSubscribe so you d Let Life After News inspire your next chapter. Because leaving the news doesn’t mean the story’s over—it means a new one’s just beginning.

    42 min

  2. DEC 16

    Strip Clubs, Sedated Puppies & Hidden Cameras: Inside David Goldstein’s Wildest Investigations

    Send us a text If David Goldstein showed up at your door, you were having a bad day. For decades, the longtime Los Angeles investigative reporter exposed corruption, waste, and abuse from LA city workers drinking and hitting strip clubs on the clock, to pet stores sedating puppies to make them easier to sell, to delivery drivers snacking on your food before it got to your door. Now two years into retirement from KCBS/KCAL, David joins Jason to talk about the real work behind those headline-making investigations: the stakeouts that lasted weeks, the legal tightrope of hidden cameras and two-party consent, the adrenaline of on-camera confrontations, and the toll the job takes on your brain and your life. They also get into what happens when the story is your own house, after the Palisades fire, and why the future of investigative journalism may depend on nonprofit newsrooms stepping in where TV budgets are stepping back. About David Goldstein David Goldstein is a longtime investigative reporter who spent decades at KCBS and KCAL in Los Angeles. His reporting exposed corruption, taxpayer waste, and consumer abuses across Southern California — leading to firings, early retirements, new policies, and even changes in state law. Known for his hidden-camera work and on-the-street confrontations, David built a career on stories that didn’t just make noise — they made change. Stay Connected If you’re listening along with Life After News as we close out the year, Jason wants to hear from you: What do you think of the show so far?Who would you like to hear as a guest?Is there a direction you’d like the show to explore in 2025?Send your feedback, guest ideas, or big swings you want us to take and if you’re enjoying these conversations, please follow, rate, and review the podcast so more people can find Life After News. Let Life After News inspire your next chapter. Because leaving the news doesn’t mean the story’s over—it means a new one’s just beginning.

    36 min

  3. DEC 9

    🎙️ When to Chase the Dream and When to Walk Away: Liberté Chan’s Life After News

    Send us a text Meteorologist Liberté Chan joins Jason for a raw, vulnerable, and very real conversation about knowing when to chase the dream and when to walk away from it. From her early days as an intern at KTLA to anchoring in Palm Springs, to “manifesting” her way back on-air in Los Angeles, Liberté shares how sheer persistence (and a few strategically timed visits to the news director’s office) helped her land her dream job as a meteorologist on the KTLA Weekend Morning News. She opens up about the work behind the “weather girl” stereotype earning a meteorology degree while working full time, using education as a way to build confidence, and what it really takes to reinvent yourself on and off camera. Liberté also talks candidly about the devastating loss of her friend and co-anchor Chris Burrous, the cascade of grief that followed in her personal life, and how unprocessed grief finally forced her to stop, feel, and re-evaluate everything including her career in news. Today, she’s a new mom, a functional medicine health coach, a devoted yogi, and a creator in the “new media” world, blending wellness, motherhood, and honest storytelling while still keeping one toe in the news business as an occasional KTLA fill-in. This is a conversation about ambition, heartbreak, reinvention, and the courage to choose yourself. In this episode, we talk about: 🎯 Manifesting the dream job🎓 Education as confidence📺 The magic of the KTLA weekend morning show💔 Grief, loss, and what news people don’t process🧭 Knowing when to walk away from news🧘‍♀️ Wellness, functional medicine, and new media👶 Motherhood, travel, and raising a healthy child💪 Movement as practice, not perfection🌱 What’s next for LibertéNEXT WEEK ON LIFE AFTER NEWS Veteran KCBS/KCAL investigative reporter David Goldstein returns—two years into retirement—to talk about what he’s doing now and why Harvey Levin says Los Angeles is less safe without him. We dig into: how investigative journalism actually changes the world,the grind behind the glamour,why the job is harder than people think, andhow he got his unlikely start in the poultry capital of the world.Don’t miss it. If this episode resonated with you, share it with a friend. And if you’re enjoying the show, please rate and review—it truly helps more people find these conversations. Let Life After News inspire your next chapter. Because leaving the news doesn’t mean the story’s over—it means a new one’s just beginning.

    35 min

  4. DEC 2

    📰 The Future of Local Journalism; How You Can Make a Difference

    Send us a text Join host Jason Ball and guest Randy Lovely, former newspaper executive and current President of the Coachella Valley Journalism Foundation (CVJF), for a deep dive into the evolution of the news industry, the decline of newspapers' financial heyday, and the critical importance of supporting local journalism. Today is Giving Tuesday! Support Local Journalism! In this episode, Randy Lovely stresses that local journalism is vital to the health and fabric of a community. The best way to show your support is to pay for your news whether through a direct subscription or by donating to a foundation that supports local news outlets. 💖 Support the Coachella Valley Journalism Foundation Donate Today: Visit cvjf.org to make a donation and support the various programs that keep local news thriving in the Coachella Valley.What Your Donation Supports: Funding for staff positions, journalism training and staff development, reporting project costs, and placing interns in local newsrooms.Indio Post Campaign: The CVJF is currently in a campaign to match dollar-for-dollar up to $24,000 to offset the startup and technical costs of the new Indio Post.Philanthropy Coverage: The CVJF helps fund the Desert Sun's dedicated coverage of local philanthropy, a crucial public service for the community's hundreds of nonprofits.🚀 Randy Lovely's Life in Journalism Randy Lovely shares his incredible 40-year journey in print journalism, beginning with a middle school mix-up that landed him in a journalism class instead of wood shop. Early Career: Started as a general assignment reporter at a small seven-person Gannett paper in Sturgis, Michigan, in the mid-80s, learning to be a multi-faceted journalist (taking photos, writing, and even helping with page composition).The Golden Years: Worked through the heyday of newspaper publishing, noting that 2006 was the watershed year, the highest point for newspaper revenue. At the Arizona Republic, the paper made over $1 million per day in net profit in 2006.Staff Size: At its peak, the Arizona Republic newsroom, including satellite offices, swelled to about 500 people.📉 The Fall: Technology and Economic Headwinds Randy discusses the swift and accelerated decline of the newspaper industry after 2006. Digital Shift: Consumer behavior rapidly switched to digital consumption between 2006 and 2008.Advertising Decimation: The core revenue model, retail advertising, was decimated by new competitors like Google, Craigslist, and Amazon.  Craigslist Disruption: Randy reflects on the industry's regret for not taking a fraction of their enormous profits in the late 90s/early 2000s to "out Craigslist in Craigslist," instead holding onto their classified ad moneymaker.Economic Crash: The 2008 housing bubble burst added significant economic pressure, especially in growth markets like Phoenix, which lost huge revenues from developer and builder ads. 📺 Merging Print and Broadcast Randy shares the "thrilling but difficult" experience of merging the Arizona Republic with the NBC affiliate, KPNX. Integration: The newsrooms were physically merged and integrated across all platforms after receiving an FCC waiver, putting reporters together regardless of whether they worked for print, digital, or TV.The Tucson Shooting: A month after the full i Let Life After News inspire your next chapter. Because leaving the news doesn’t mean the story’s over—it means a new one’s just beginning.

    44 min

  5. NOV 25

    🎙️ The Reporter Who Never Backed Down: Hank Plante vs. America’s Politicians

    Send us a text He asked George W. Bush if he was smart enough to be president., confronted Dick Cheney about his lesbian daughter and gay rights mid-campaign, and gave Gavin Newsom both his best and worst interviews. This week on Life After News, Jason sits down with legendary San Francisco political reporter Hank Plante for a wide-ranging, conversation about power, politics, the AIDS crisis, and why both of them chose a new chapter in Palm Springs. 🌴🎙️ Hank Plante is an Emmy- and Peabody-winning journalist who spent 25 years at KPIX in San Francisco. An openly gay reporter covering AIDS from ground zero in the 1980s and ’90s, Hank’s work helped shape national understanding of the epidemic and the LGBTQ community. Today, he’s “retired” in Palm Springs (doing everything but sitting still), writing, volunteering, and staying deeply engaged in local journalism and civic life. 🎧 In this episode Jason and Hank dig into: 🔥 The Bush & Cheney moments:  asking George W. Bush point-blank if he was “bright enough” to be president and what happened after the cameras stopped rolling. Pressing Dick Cheney on running on a platform that discriminated against his own lesbian daughter.💥 Gavin Newsom’s best and worst interviews:  why Hank believes he did both Newsom’s strongest and weakest on-camera moments.  How tone and intention can make or break a politician on TV.  What Hank thinks of Newsom’s evolution and his obvious presidential ambitions.🦠 Covering AIDS from the front lines:  what it was like to report on AIDS in San Francisco when the federal government wouldn’t even say the word. Nurses taking care of patients without knowing how the virus was spread. The discrimination, the funerals, the fear and the PTSD Hank believes many in his generation still carry.  How activism and groups like ACT UP forced change and saved lives.📰 Why local news is the future:  Hank’s first gig taking over Bob Woodward’s old job at a chain of weeklies.  Why both Hank and Jason believe local journalism is more important than ever and how the business model still hasn’t caught up. The role of organizations like the Coachella Valley Journalism Foundation in funding real reporting on school boards, city councils, and communities like the Coachella Valley.🌵 Life after news in Palm Springs: how Hank and his husband ended up in Palm Springs and why it just “felt meant to be.” The pace, the beauty, the nonstop events and why being in a deeply gay-friendly town matters at this stage of life. The joy of doing work that mostly doesn’t pay… and why that’s made him “very popular.” 😉👀 Next week on Life After News Jason sits down with Randy Lovely, president of the Coachella Valley Journalism Foundation and longtime Gannett editor and executive, to talk about: What the future of local news really looks likeHow communities can step up and fund the reporting they say they wantAnd what’s at stake if we don’t👉 Listen, follow, rate & review Life After News on your favorite podcast app. 👉 Share this episode with someone who cares about journalism, LGBTQ history, or Palm Springs. 👉 Consider supporting a local journalism nonprofit in your community. Your rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐, review 💬, and share 🔁 help keep these conversations and this mission alive. Let Life After News inspire your next chapter. Because leaving the news doesn’t mean the story’s over—it means a new one’s just beginning.

    33 min

  6. NOV 18

    🎙️Producing Compassion From TV News to Project Angel Food with Richard Ayoub

    Send us a text In this episode of Life After News, Jason Ball sits down with his longtime friend Richard Ayoub, the CEO of Project Angel Food, as Richard celebrates his 10th anniversary leading the organization. From the control rooms of KCAL 9 to the bustling kitchen that now prepares over 1.5 million medically tailored meals a year, Richard shares how his television producing skills, storytelling, deadlines, and people management, have fueled his success in the nonprofit world. 🕊️ From Newsroom to Nonprofit Jason and Richard trace his remarkable journey from El Paso, Texas, through TV newsrooms in Tucson, Orlando, and Los Angeles, to the moment he traded breaking news for a mission-driven life. He reflects on how the same instincts that made him a strong producer, curiosity, compassion, and hustle, helped him revive a struggling organization and lead it into a new era of service. 🍽️ The Project Angel Food Story Richard recounts the origins of Project Angel Food, founded by Marianne Williamson in 1989 during the AIDS crisis to ensure no one died alone or hungry. When Richard arrived a decade ago, the nonprofit was financially fragile “upside down a million dollars.” He describes how he and his team turned it around, reinstating staff benefits, paying off the building’s mortgage, and launching an ambitious $51.5 million capital campaign that will triple their capacity to 4.5 million meals annually. 💡 Food Is Medicine Richard explains how the concept of “food is medicine” has transformed the organization’s mission designing meals to help clients manage HIV/AIDS, diabetes, heart disease, and more. With data showing improved health outcomes and reduced hospital visits, Project Angel Food now partners with six healthcare plans to bring medically tailored meals to thousands across Los Angeles. 🎬 Lessons from Life in News A veteran of KCAL’s groundbreaking Prime 9 News, Richard shares inside stories from his days producing alongside Pat Harvey and Jerry Dunphy and how landing an interview with Henry Kissinger taught him the power of kindness and persistence. His reflections reveal how news instincts translate beautifully into leadership and advocacy work. 🏆 Legacy and Purpose Richard calls Project Angel Food “the gay community’s gift to all of Los Angeles.” He sees his role as honoring that legacy while expanding its reach—with new facilities, satellite kitchens, and innovations that give clients more choice and dignity in their meals. “If you rewind the tape,” he says, “everything I’ve done in my life led me here.” 🎧 Plus, Jason’s Updates: After seven and a half years, Jason has rolled off the Project Angel Food board but continues to support its mission.He’s joined the board of the Coachella Valley Journalism Foundation, funding local journalism across the desert.And there’s a new Life After News sister podcast: Chasing Faith with Dorothy Lucey, exploring spirituality and belief in today’s world.Next week’s guest: legendary reporter Hank Plante, one of the first openly gay journalists on television and a leading voice during the AIDS crisis. Listen now for an inspiring conversation about purpose, reinvention, and how storytelling can change lives—on and off the air. 🎧 Subscribe to Life After News wherever you get your podcasts. Let Life After News inspire your next chapter. Because leaving the news doesn’t mean the story’s over—it means a new one’s just beginning.

    49 min

  7. NOV 11

    🎙️ Life After News: How to Become an Independent Video Journalist with Fernando Hurtado

    Send us a text Life After News:  How to Become an Independent Video Journalist with Fernando Hurtado Episode: Life After News Guest: Fernando Hurtado (creator of In the Hyphen) Host: Jason Ball Episode summary A step-by-step masterclass on going solo as a video journalist. Fernando Hurtado left a “dream job” at NBC/Telemundo to launch In the Hyphen, a YouTube channel covering U.S. Latino life with deeply researched, visually rich mini-docs. We dig into why he made the leap, how he picks stories, the production workflow he uses to publish consistently, how he pays the bills, and his plan to help other journalists make the jump. We also talk teaching, ethics on YouTube, code-switching, and, yes, the best Mexican food. Key takeaways Niche > noise: A clear editorial focus (U.S. Latinos) helps you find stories, audience, and sponsors.Show your work: On YouTube, explaining sourcing and process builds trust and differentiates journalism from “non-fiction” content.Ship on a schedule: Pick a sustainable cadence (e.g., two mini-docs/month) and time-box production to four focused days.Test and iterate: Treat titles, publish days, and formats as experiments—watch data, adjust quickly.Own the stack: Independence means wearing every hat—editorial, production, distribution, sales. Start building those muscles early.Teach to learn: Teaching forces clarity; classrooms double as honest focus groups.Business matters: Learn CPMs, ad breaks, sponsorship packages, and outbound pitching. Your journalism is a product—position it.Tools, resources & names mentioned In the Hyphen (YouTube): @byFernandoHRiverside (remote interviews)Notion / Trello / Asana / monday.com (story tracking)Google News Initiative (workshops)NBCLX (Gen Z/Millennial news R&D)Topics featured in Fernando’s videos: Chicano English, Tajín, mole, Mexican food in the U.S., TikTok personal shoppers, Grupo BimboAbout Fernando Fernando Hurtado is an award-winning journalist and YouTube creator. Formerly with NBC/Telemundo and The Washington Post, he now runs In the Hyphen, a channel exploring U.S. Latino identities through deeply reported mini-docs. He also teaches visual journalism and an Olympics/Paralympics storytelling course at USC Annenberg. About Life After News Hosted by Jason Ball, former TV news director turned creator and innkeeper, Life After News spotlights journalists, producers, and storytellers building new careers and creative lives beyond the newsroom. Connect Watch Fernando: @byFernandoH (YouTube) — link in show notesFollow Jason: @MrJasonBall (IG)Subscribe: New episodes on YouTube and your favorite podcast appRate & review: If this helped you, a quick review really helps others find the show.Coming up next Richard Ayoub, CEO of Project Angel Food, joins us to talk about moving from journalism to nonprofit leadership plus a special announcement you won’t want to miss. All the best until then. Let Life After News inspire your next chapter. Because leaving the news doesn’t mean the story’s over—it means a new one’s just beginning.

    44 min

  8. NOV 4

    🎙️ Helicopter Pilot/Reporter Larry Welk Files a New Flight Path 🚁

    Send us a text 🎧 Larry Welk: Veteran helicopter reporter, aviation entrepreneur, and grandson of television legend Lawrence Welk 🚁 Episode Summary If you’ve ever watched a police pursuit in Los Angeles, chances are you’ve heard Larry Welk’s voice from above. Larry was in the helicopter for the very first televised police pursuit in L.A. history in 1992 and he’s been part of nearly every major aerial story since. In this episode, Jason Ball catches up with Larry to talk about his remarkable journey from aviation student to pioneering TV news pilot, and how he helped shape an entire genre of live reporting from the skies. The two revisit iconic moments from the O.J. Simpson chase to the JetBlue landing gear emergency and discuss how those experiences changed the way television covered breaking news. Larry also opens up about the crash that killed Kobe Bryant, explaining the phenomenon of spatial disorientation and the evolution of flight safety since. He reflects on how technology has transformed helicopter reporting from microwave feeds to Starlink satellite systems and what the future holds for airborne news coverage. And in a more personal turn, Larry shares stories about his famous grandfather, Lawrence Welk, and what it was like growing up in a household tied to one of America’s most beloved entertainment families. He also talks about pivoting from news to running a power-line construction helicopter company and his surprising next dream: opening a comedy club. ✈️ Highlights The first-ever televised police pursuit and how it changed breaking news foreverCovering the O.J. Simpson “white Bronco” chase from the skyInside the JetBlue emergency landing that captivated the nationSpatial disorientation and the lessons learned from the Kobe Bryant crashFrom microwave to Starlink: how technology reshaped helicopter journalismGrowing up a Welk — life in the shadow of a showbiz iconBuilding a business empire in aviation after leaving the newsLarry’s next act: dreaming up a comedy club for California’s westside comics🗣️ Key Quote “We were there to cover someone’s worst day—and you had to remember that every time you went up.” — Larry Welk 🔗 Connect Follow Jason Ball and Life After News for more conversations with the people who made the news—and what they’re doing now. 📺 Next Episode: Fernando Hurtado on leaving NBC and Telemundo to redefine how U.S. Latino stories are told.   Let Life After News inspire your next chapter. Because leaving the news doesn’t mean the story’s over—it means a new one’s just beginning.

    42 min
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4.6
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About

What happens when the newsroom lights go out—and life begins again? Life After News explores the raw, funny, and deeply human stories of journalists who’ve walked away from the adrenaline of breaking news to reinvent themselves in surprising ways. Hosted by former TV news director Jason Ball, the podcast goes behind the headlines to talk with anchors, reporters, producers, and executives about identity, resilience, and what it takes to start over. From career pivots to personal awakenings, these conversations reveal how the skills learned under deadline pressure translate into entirely new chapters of life. It’s not just about leaving the news—it’s about discovering what comes after. Whether you’re in media, on the edge of a career change, or just fascinated by reinvention, Life After News is your invitation to listen in, learn, and maybe imagine your own next chapter.

Information

  • Creator
    Jason Ball
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    43
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Life After News
  • Show Website
    Life After News

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