The News Director's Office

On January 18th, 2021, 12 years after first walking through the doors at KTLA, Jason Ball announced he would be leaving the station to begin a new chapter of his life. After more than 2 years and 200 episodes of the podcast, Jason and Bobby enter the News Director's Office one last time to reminisce about the past and look towards the future. Jason opens up about his experiences in the news business, shares some of his favorite moments, and reflects on the many lessons learned throughout his career.

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Laura Davis is is a professor at USC Annenberg School of Journalism. KTLA is partnering with Davis on a new project to expand the reach of local journalism. Laura discusses why she became interested in this project, and ways to innovate storytelling techniques. She discusses the role of social media has in how Millennials and Gen Z consume news. She also talks about Stylebot, a copy-editing chatbot she created for her students at USC Annenberg that is now used by newsrooms nationwide.

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Earlier this week, KTLA News Director Jason Ball announced that he would be leaving KTLA after 12 years with the station. Moments after making the announcement, Jason spoke with the team from 5 Live, KTLA's digital streaming show, for this episode of the podcast. Samantha Cortese, Andy Reismeyer, Robert Puente, and Bobby Gonzalez talk about what makes 5 Live so unique. They react to Jason's shocking announcement, and Jason shares some of his plans for the next chapter in his life.

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Ryan Faughnder is a film business reporter for the Los Angeles Times. In this episode, Ryan joins us to talk about some of the struggles the film industry has had during the coronavirus pandemic. He shares his thoughts on some of the solutions the major studios have implemented to weather the storm, including their use of streaming services. Ryan also tells us about the L.A. Times' new newsletter, "The Wide Shot."

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Today on the podcast, we're counting down the most downloaded episodes of the year! First, KTLA tech reporter Rich DeMuro talks about the challenges of having to suddenly work from home, and shares some helpful tips. KTLA general manager Janene Drafs started her new job in Los Angeles at the beginning of the relentless year, and joined the podcast to share her insight on leading a news station during these times. Motivational speaker and author Mel Robbins joins us to talk about the power of failure, and KTLA reporter Wendy Burch opens up about her relationship with her son Brady. Finally, Perry Sook, President & CEO of Nexstar, gave a candid interview about the state of the company amidst the global pandemic.

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On this Christmas Eve, we're looking back at some conversations with some of our KTLA family who have moved on to brighter things! CBS News correspondent David Begnaud shares compelling accounts from his reporting at on major events such as Occupy L.A. and his award-winning coverage of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. Dave Malkoff, now at The Weather Channel, tells us about his reporting from Iraq at the end of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Elizabeth Espinosa, the executive director of communication for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s department, opens up about her special relationship with her brother. Long time KTLA photographer Gary Reyes looks back at his storied career, and shares what he is looking forward to in retirement.

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Trevor Shirley is the Washington, D.C. , Bureau correspondent for Nexstar. He is now a frequent reporter for the KTLA Morning News. In this episode, Trevor shares what it's like reporting for multiple stations across the country. He also explains what it is like reporting on politics during an unprecedented election year. Jason, Bobby, and Trevor also discuss this year's rapid-moving news cycle. Trevor also talks about what it has been like joining the KTLA Morning team.

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Craig Lucie is a former anchor at WSB in Atlanta, and the founder of Lucie Content, a company that provides media consulting, crisis communications and content subscriptions for businesses and non-profits. In this episode of the podcast, Craig joins us to talk about how his company runs similar to a newsroom when helping business tell their story. He also shares what it is like growing a company in the midst of the pandemic. Craig also highlights his work with the non-profit Top Dogg K9 Foundation, who provide service dogs for our veterans. He also details his recent experiences with COVID-19.

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Suzy Exposito is a music reporter at the Los Angeles Times. She has also written for Rolling Stone, NPR, Pitchfork, and Revolver. Suzy joins us in the News Director's Office to chat about a number of topics including her time in the punk band Shady Hawkins, her love for karaoke, and more. Suzy also talks about spearheading the Latin music section at Rolling Stone, and why she decided to work at the Los Angeles Times. Suzy enlightens us about brujacore, the impact of Courtney Love, and the finer points of singing Morrissey.

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Tim Lynn has been the pilot and reporter in the Sky 5 helicopter since 2009. After an accomplished career, Tim announced his retirement this week. Tim joins Jason in the News Director's Office to talk about his incredible career, including his enlistment in the United States Coast Guard and decades working in law enforcement. Tim describes what it's like piloting a helicopter, and he also shares details of his infamous 2012 emergency landing in Hollywood.

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