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Kyle Unfug blew off radio. She took the internship to get it out of the way, decided radio was the worst, and planned to go do television instead. Twenty-five years later she is still there, and she has co-hosted The Johnjay & Rich Show since 2008.

Kyle went to the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State, interned at a Phoenix radio station, and got hired to co-host nights. Overnights, weekends and middays came next. Then the 3 a.m. phone calls started, asking her to fill in on the morning show. She filled in for a full year, working mornings and middays at the same time, before she finally told them to commit. They told her it had always been her. She also appears weekly on Your Life Arizona with entertainment and pop culture updates.

On this episode of Off Deadline, Melissa DiGianfilippo, founder of Proof Publicity, sits down with Kyle to get into:

• Why she wrote radio off during her internship, and the night host who changed her mind
• The year of 3 a.m. phone calls that split her career into a before and an after
• Schwanding: the word she coined for show plus bonding, and why she is proud of it
• Why tension behind the mic is something listeners can hear even when nobody names it
• The Tim Ballard interview on child sex trafficking she still gets sick thinking about
• Getting recognized in her 20s and the accountability that came with it
• Why she never considered quitting work after her kids, and the guilt she almost carried
• The Receipt: a printed photo with Hulk Hogan from the 2005 Teen Choice Awards, her first red carpet alone
• Telling John Cena on that red carpet that she wanted to have his babies
• The celebrity who genuinely surprised her, and the two rumors she had to hear about herself
• The on-air moment she will never live down
• Her advice to her first-year self, and the laptop full of career photos she never got back

Radio makes people feel less alone. That is the whole reason she stayed.

Follow Kyle: @unfug
Follow The Johnjay & Rich Show: @johnjayandrich
Follow the host, Melissa DiGianfilippo: @melissadflip
Learn more about Proof Publicity
Produced by Turnkey Media

#OffDeadline #KyleUnfug #JohnjayAndRich #PhoenixRadio #ProofPublicity

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The guard walked out and closed the door. Paul Maryniak was left sitting across a table from a 28-year-old on trial for his fifth homicide, no handcuffs, close enough to touch. He listened the whole time thinking one thing: I have to get out of here. Fifty years later, it is still the interview he wishes he had done differently. 

Paul started in journalism in the 1970s and joined the Pittsburgh Press in 1975 as an investigative reporter. He went on to the Philadelphia Daily News, came west in 1999 for the East Valley Tribune, led East Valley coverage as metro editor at The Arizona Republic, and today is executive editor of Times Media Group, overseeing seven weekly newspapers plus three publications he launched himself. He is 77 and plans to work another ten years. 

On this episode of Off Deadline, Melissa DiGianfilippo, founder of Proof Publicity, sits down with Paul to get into: 

• The jail interview with a five-time killer, and the question he never asked 
• How a 13-year-old's murder taught him to knock on a grieving family's door
• The line he used with next of kin that worked every time
• Launching 13 community publications at The Arizona Republic before the Great Recession
• The career gamble everyone warned him about, and hanging up on one of the world's richest men
• Why he loves crime stories, police procedurals, and watching a case get cracked
• The Receipt: the newspaper commercial he starred in, where the final cut showed only his fingers on the keys
• Reaching into his coat pocket at Philadelphia City Hall and being mistaken for a gunman
• Why he would have been a criminal prosecutor if he had not been a reporter 

Fifty years in, Paul still runs on the same thing that got him in: no two days are the same. 

Follow Times Media Group: @timesmediagroup

Follow the host, Melissa DiGianfilippo: @melissadflip 

Learn more about Proof Publicity

Produced by Turnkey Media

 #OffDeadline #PaulMaryniak #TimesMediaGroup #ArizonaJournalists #ProofPublicity

 📺 Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@proof-publicity 🔗 Check out Proof Publicity → https://proofpublicity.com

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🔗 Check out Proof Publicity → https://proofpublicity.com

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She was out running errands when her phone would not stop ringing. Stephanie Innes pulled her car to the side of the road in Tucson and learned that Gabby Giffords, someone she had written about and used to see around town, had been shot. Then the national media landed, and she found out what it means to be the local reporter who is still there after everyone else flies to the next disaster.

Stephanie Innes has been a journalist for 33 years. She grew up in Toronto, got her graduate degree in journalism at Northwestern, and drove herself to Flagstaff for a city government job at a paper she had never seen in a state she had never visited. She went on to the Arizona Daily Star in Tucson and has covered health care for The Arizona Republic since 2018, focusing on patient safety, hospital quality and health policy, including leading the paper's COVID-19 coverage.

On this episode of Off Deadline, Melissa DiGianfilippo, founder of Proof Publicity, talks with Stephanie about:

• Reporting the Giffords shooting, and being pushed aside at her own story
• Losing a shoe in the snow to reach a plane crash, and the moment that made her a more aggressive reporter
• The story she got right that still does not sit well with her
• Why she wants her health stories free for the people who need them most
• What growing up in the Canadian health system taught her about covering American health care
• The wildest rumor she ever heard about herself, involving a bishop, jogging and vegetarian meals
• Her receipt: a painting of the Tucson desert from a woman she followed for six months
• The advice she would give her younger self, the honest version

After 33 years, she says her real superpower is simply that she is still here.

Follow Stephanie Innes: @StephReporter on Instagram
Follow the host, Melissa DiGianfilippo: @melissadflip
Learn more about Proof Publicity: https://proofpublicity.com
Produced by Turnkey Media: https://www.turnkeymediaaz.com

#OffDeadline #StephanieInnes #ArizonaRepublic #HealthJournalism #ArizonaPodcast

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@proof-publicity

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Their parents thought they were drug dealers. Their first paid post was $100, and they celebrated with wings. Ten years later, David Vicente and his brother have turned Welcome to Arizona into one of the state's biggest local storytelling platforms — 1.3 million followers on Instagram, over 500K on TikTok, and a seven-figure business behind it.

It didn't happen fast. The first 10,000 followers took two years. What started as an Instagram version of the Yellow Pages — a directory of local businesses two ASU students built because they couldn't afford a website — became the page brands call when they want Arizona's attention. 

On this episode of Off Deadline, Melissa DiGianfilippo, founder of Proof Publicity, sits down with David to get into: 

• The $100 post from a local golf business that made it a real company 
• Why the first 10K followers took two years — and why he's glad it did 
• Editing in a home studio from 8 PM to midnight, every night, for years
• His parents asking "is it legal?" — and how Kim Kardashian won them over
• Covering political moments as a platform 1.3 million people trust
• Splitting lanes with his brother: creative direction vs. operations
• Hitting seven figures and expanding to Vegas, Mexico City, and Utah
• The Receipt: the gold award behind the Rafi Law Group lookalike campaign
• 300 lookalikes and 20+ million views David's story is proof that consistency beats overnight success.

Follow David Vicente and Welcome to Arizona: @welcometoarizona on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and Facebook. 

Follow the host, Melissa DiGianfilippo: @melissadflip

Learn more about Proof Publicity: https://proofpublicity.com 

Produced by Turnkey Media: https://www.turnkeymediaaz.com 

#OffDeadline #WelcomeToArizona #DavidVicente #ArizonaCreators #ProofPublicity 📺 

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@proof-publicity 🔗 Check out Proof Publicity → https://proofpublicity.com

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🔗 Check out Proof Publicity → https://proofpublicity.com

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Chelsey Hauston built one of Arizona's most trusted food platforms out of a pet pig fan page and a breakup. Seven years later, she's the creator behind Let Them Eat This, with 336,000 followers on Instagram and 300,000 on TikTok. What most people don't see: she's running that empire while managing a rare autoimmune disease her former employer once called "her problem."

On this episode of Off Deadline, Melissa DiGianfilippo, founder of Proof Publicity, sits down with Chelsey to get into:

• How a page for her pet pigs landed on BuzzFeed and started it all
• The Marie Antoinette history behind the Let Them Eat This name
• Living and working with autoimmune progesterone dermatitis
• Filming her first viral hit, birria ramen, in the middle of a monsoon
• The turquoise McDonald's drone footage that broke the internet
• A cheesecake shop owner's message that still gives her goosebumps
• Getting called "weird" in a job interview, and why she wears it now
• Her upcoming dream trip to France

Chelsey's story is proof that betting on yourself can outwork a boss who won't.

Follow Chelsey Hauston and Let Them Eat This: @letthemeatthis on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook.
Follow the host, Melissa DiGianfilippo: @melissadflip
Learn more about Proof Publicity: https://proofpublicity.com

Produced by Turnkey Media: https://www.turnkeymediaaz.com

#OffDeadline #LetThemEatThis #ChelseyHauston #ArizonaFood #ProofPublicity

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She almost didn't answer the call. An unknown number, a voicemail from a Women's Wear Daily reporter, and one bold follow-up question turned into a summer internship in LA. That's the moment Christina Silvestri says split her career into before and after.

Christina is the editor in chief of Arizona Foothills Magazine, the state's longest-running luxury lifestyle publication, now marking 30 years. A Phoenix native and ASU Cronkite grad, she left Arizona to work with global brands like Richemont and Sotheby's before coming home to run the same magazine she once interned at.

In this episode:

• The voicemail that changed the direction of her entire career
• The student journalism assignments that still stay with her
• Why she sees lifestyle journalism as an economic driver for Arizona
• The object she's kept since her first reporting job
• What she'd be doing if she weren't running a magazine

New episodes of Off Deadline drop every Tuesday. 

Follow Proof Publicity @proofpublicity, Melissa DiGianfilippo @melissadflip,  Christina Silvestri @cksilves and Arizona Foothills Magazine @azfoothills for more.

📺 Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@proof-publicity
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In this episode of Off Deadline, Melissa DiGianfilippo of Proof Publicity sits down with Kaley O'Kelley of ABC 15 in Phoenix, a broadcast journalist whose career has been shaped by both extraordinary opportunity and deep personal challenge.

Kaley shares what it was like to receive a last-minute call sending her to New York to fill in on Good Morning America, and the devastation of later learning that a long-term network opportunity was declined on her behalf without her knowledge. She opens up about navigating divorce while staying professional on air, crying in her car between shifts, and choosing forgiveness in moments that could have hardened her.

She also explains why stories of hope, community heroes, and “angels among us” remain central to her work, and how telling those stories helped her find purpose in local news.

Discussion highlights

• Being unexpectedly sent to New York for Good Morning America
• How quickly careers can change in broadcast journalism
• Maintaining professionalism through emotional pain
• Divorce and showing up on air anyway
• Learning an opportunity was turned down without her consent
• Choosing forgiveness after betrayal
• Why hope matters in local news
• Highlighting community heroes and life-changing stories
• Finding purpose through storytelling

Kaley’s episode is an honest look at resilience, grace under pressure, and the human side of journalism.

🎧 Listen now, watch on YouTube, and don’t forget to follow @proofpublicity for more episodes of Off Deadline.

📺 Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@proof-publicity
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In this episode of Off Deadline, host Melissa DiGianfilippo sits down with Paul Thompson, Managing Editor of the Phoenix Business Journal, for an honest conversation about journalism, leadership, and responsibility in today’s media landscape.

Paul reflects on how covering crime early in his career shaped his approach to reporting, why journalists must chase difficult stories, and how newsroom debates help sharpen truth rather than dilute it. He also discusses separating emotion from reporting, managing pressure under deadline, and what business journalism gets right and wrong in the public eye.

Discussion highlights

• Finding his path into journalism
• Early crime reporting and emotional resilience
• Why tough questions still matter
• Separating personal opinion from reporting
• Editorial judgment and newsroom debates
• Leading reporters under pressure
• Business journalism and public accountability
• Media trust, credibility and transparency
• Technology, AI and the future of news

Paul’s episode offers a thoughtful look at the responsibility behind editorial decisions and the leadership required to run a modern newsroom.

🎧 Listen now, watch on YouTube, and don’t forget to follow @proofpublicity for more episodes of Off Deadline.

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In this episode of Off Deadline, host Melissa DiGianfilippo sits down with Cynthia Sassi, founder and publisher of Fabulous Arizona, the digital lifestyle publication spotlighting the people, places and brands shaping Arizona.

Cynthia shares how she built Fabulous Arizona from the ground up, why she went all in on her business without a safety net, and how losing a job days before rent was due became a defining moment. She opens up about expanding into additional Fabulous markets, managing a growing team, balancing editorial integrity with brand partnerships, and staying focused on ROI for clients while protecting trust with readers.

Discussion highlights

• Studying marketing and consumer behavior
• Discovering digital publishing early
• Launching Fabulous Arizona
• Going fully self employed
• Losing a job days before rent was due
• Why pressure fuels growth
• Expanding into additional Fabulous markets
• Managing teams and releasing control
• Editorial integrity vs brand partnerships
• Handling public criticism and improving on camera
• What people misunderstand about digital publishing
• The importance of relationships in business

Cynthia’s episode is an honest look at risk, resilience and building a modern media brand without a safety net.

🎧 Listen now, watch on YouTube, and don’t forget to follow @proofpublicity for more episodes of Off Deadline.

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In this episode of Off Deadline, host Melissa DiGianfilippo sits down with Michelle Glicksman, a 26-year media veteran and editor in chief behind multiple Arizona publications, including Scottsdale City Lifestyle and Chandler City Lifestyle.

Michelle shares how writing shaped her career early on, why magazine journalism ultimately won over television, and what it truly means to be responsible for editorial judgment under real deadlines. She reflects on pulling a magazine cover just hours before press, selecting stories worth publishing, covering nonprofit and community voices, navigating AI in journalism, and how personal loss deepened her empathy as an editor and storyteller.

Discussion highlights

• Discovering her voice as a writer early in life
• Moving from television to magazine journalism
• Editorial judgment and covering unfamiliar beats
• Interviewing Johnny Unitas without knowing who he was
• Working with her daughter on a fashion shoot
• Choosing nonprofit and community stories
• Covering Arizona food, travel and culture
• Pulling a magazine cover hours before press
• Managing nonstop PR pitches
• How AI is entering journalism
• Personal loss and deeper empathy in storytelling

Michelle’s episode offers a rare look at decision making, pressure and responsibility inside magazine publishing.

🎧 Listen now, watch on YouTube, and don’t forget to follow @proofpublicity for more episodes of Off Deadline.

📺 Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@proof-publicity
🔗 Check out Proof Publicity → https://proofpublicity.com