The News Director's Office

By KTLA Audio Network

What's The News Director's Office about?

A Podcast hosted by KTLA 5 News Director Jason Ball and producer Bobby Gonzalez. Jason explores topics in the news, issues facing journalists, and the newsgathering process. Each episode includes an in-depth interview with journalists, newsmakers, or interesting people. Jason also offers reading/viewer recommendations including articles, books, Ted Talks, and more. He also takes listener questions and offers inspirational quotes.

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The News Director's Office episodes:

02.04.2021
Leaving the Office: the Final Episode
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...
01.28.2021
Expanding the Reach of Local Journalism with Laura Davis
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...
01.21.2021
Life Is Like a Box of Chocolates with the 5 Live Team
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...
01.14.2021
The Biz of Show Biz with Ryan Faughnder
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...
12.31.2020
Top Downloads of 2020
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...
12.24.2020
The Not-Quite-Ghosts of Christmas Past
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...
12.17.2020
Talking Politics with Trevor Shirley
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...
12.10.2020
The Business of Storytelling with Craig Lucie
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...
12.03.2020
Rocking Out with Suzy Exposito
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...
11.25.2020
Landing the Chopper with Tim Lynn
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...
11.19.2020
Breaking Down the 2020 Presidential Election with Seema Mehta + Dolly Parton & the Moderna Vaccine
Seema Mehta is a political reporter for the Los Angele Times. Seema joins us on the podcast to discuss the 2020 presidential election. From campaigning during a pandemic, to mail-in voting, to incoming results, Seema helps breakdown the various aspects...
11.12.2020
Pushing to be Better with Joe Moeller
Joe Moeller is a reporter with KLAS-TV in Las Vegas, Nevada. A former KTLA intern, Joe joins the News Director's Office to talk about how far he has come since the days he was known as "Malibu Joey" by the...
11.05.2020
A Happy Homecoming with Carlos Herrera
Reporter Carlos Herrera is the newest member of the KTLA family! He joins us (on his birthday!) to talk about his excitement to be back in his hometown of Los Angeles. Carlo opens up about the challenges of leaving his...
10.29.2020
The Path to Purpose with Steve Holzer
Steve Holzer is a journalist and the host of the podcast It's Why We're Here: Finding the Path to Purpose. Steve is also a cancer survivor. He joins us in the News Director's Office to talk to us about his...
10.22.2020
Swinging for the Fences with Dan Hellie
Go, Dodgers! On this episode of the podcast, we chat with sportscaster Dan Hellie about the World Series and more! Dan explains what makes this World Series so different from past championships. He also shares what it's been like to...
10.15.2020
LA Unscripted with Dayna Devon, Megan Telles, and Liberte Chan
On this episode of the podcasts, we're joined by the ladies of KTLA's newest show, LA Unscripted! Dayna Devon, Megan Telles, and Liberte Chan stop by for a conversation on what makes the show so special. They share some of...
10.08.2020
Come Rain or Shine with Leigh Spann
Leigh Spann is a meteorologist at WFLA in Tampa Bay, Florida. In this episode of the podcast, Leigh teaches us all about tropical storms and hurricanes, including Hurricane Delta, which currently threatens the Gulf Coast. Leigh also shares the life...
10.01.2020
First Day on the Job with Gene Kang
On today's episode, we welcome Gene Kang, KTLA's newest reporter! A Chicago native, Gene has worked at news stations across the country including Texas, Kentucky, and Indiana. Gene shares why he is excited to finally call KTLA home, and explains...
09.24.2020
Once I Was You with Maria Hinojosa
Maria Hinojosa is a the anchor and executive producer of the long-running weekly show Latino USA on NPR. She is also the founder, president and CEO of Futuro Media Group. Maria joins us on the podcast to talk about her...
09.17.2020
DailyMailTV's New Host Thomas Roberts
Thomas Roberts has been a respected television news veteran for over 25 years. He has worked at a variety of local, cable, syndicated and national platforms including NBC News and CNN. Thomas is now the new host of DailyMailTV, now...
09.08.2020
2 Years in the Office: Funniest Guests
We continue our look back at 2 years in the News Director's Office by revisiting some of the funniest guests who have joined us on the podcast. First, Jane Lynch tells us about how she ended up in some of...
09.03.2020
A Star is Bored with Byron Lane
Byron Lane revisits us in the News Director's Office to talk about his debut novel, "A Star is Bored." The poignant and heartfelt book follows the story of a celebrity personal assistant, and is influenced by Byron's own experiences as...
08.27.2020
A Full Circle Career with Nancy Loo
Nancy Loo is the West Coast Bureau Correspondent for WGN America's News Nation in Los Angeles. Nancy's journalism career has taken her to cities all over the world including Hong Kong, Tokyo, New York City, and Chicago. Nancy is now...
08.25.2020
2 Years in the Office: Most Revealing Interviews
We continue our throwback series celebrating 2 years of the podcast! Today, we look back at some of the most revealing interviews. We chat Henry DiCarlo about the emotional impact of his prostate cancer diagnosis. KTLA anchor Courtney Friel joins...
08.20.2020
Sharing Stories About the Lives of Latinos with Esmeralda Bermudez
Esmeralda Bermudez is a writer for the Los Angeles Times. She writes narrative stories about the lives of Latinos. Esmeralda joins us to talk about how she approaches storytelling, and some of the challenges brought about by COVID-19. She shares stories...
08.18.2020
2 Years in the Office: Most Educational Interviews
We continue our throwback series celebrating 2 years of the podcast! Today, we look back at some of the most fascinating and educational interviews. We chat with Dr. Lucy Jones about earthquakes, and Dr. Robin George Andrews tells us about...
08.13.2020
2 Years in the Office: Most Charitable Guests
We continue our throwback series celebrating 2 years of the podcast! Today, we look back at conversations with some of the people who have donated their time, talents, and resources to charitable cause. Producer, actor, and activist Justin Mikita reflects...
08.11.2020
2 Years in the Office: Most Inspiring Guests
We continue our throwback series celebrating 2 years of the podcast! We've shared conversations with an array of people who have inspired us to do better, be better, or think differently. We look back at some of our most inspiring...
08.06.2020
State of the (Nexstar) Nation with CEO Perry Sook
This week, we're bringing in the big guns! Jason and Bobby are joined by Nexstar President & CEO Perry Sook. In this in-depth conversation, Perry discusses his career journey through the news business including his early on-air jobs, the purchase...
08.04.2020
2 Years in the Office: Top 5 Downloads & Our Bosses
We begin our celebration of two years since the start of the podcast! We kick things off by looking back at our top 5 most downloaded episodes! Rich DeMuro shares some iPhone tips from his then-recently-released book. Screenwriter Dustin Lance...
07.30.2020
Like a REAL Boss with Tiana Sanchez
Tiana Sanchez is an executive trainer, leadership coach, author, and the host of the podcast Like a REAL Boss. In this episode, Tiana joins the News Director's Office to discuss the changes and challenges to the new ways we work...
07.23.2020
Mental Health in the Media with Mark Joyella
Mark Joyella is a writer and content creator at IBM, Forbes contributor, former television news anchor and reporter, and mental health advocate. Mark shares anecdotes from his time working in local news and how he developed his voice as a...
07.16.2020
The One with Vanessa & Jackie from the 'Friends with Friends' Podcast
It's a KTLA Podcasts crossover! KTLA News Director Jason Ball and Producer Bobby are joined by Vanessa Martinez and Jackie Rodriguez of KTLA's "Friends with Friends" podcast. They reveal why they set out to watch all 236 episodes of the...
07.09.2020
'Voices of Courage' with KTAL News Director John Walton
John Walton is News Director for KTAL News and KMSS in Shreveport, Louisiana. John shares details about their Voices of Courage campaign, which aims to promote honest conversations surrounding race. He also opens up about his own experiences as a...
07.02.2020
That's How I Got to Memphis with Stephanie Scurlock
Stephanie Scurlock is an anchor and reporter for WREG-TV in Memphis, where she has been working for 29 years. Jason and Stephanie reflect on their time working together at WREG-TV at the beginning of their careers. Stephanie also shares about...
06.25.2020
A Platform to Do Good with Lisa Foxx
Lisa Foxx is an on air host at 104.3 MYFM. On this episode, Lisa shares how she is using her platform on radio to give back to the community and inject positivity into the lives of others. She talks about...
06.18.2020
Softening the Lines That Divide Us with Sandy Banks
L.A. Times columnist Sandy Banks joins us on the podcast to discuss her more-than-three-decades career at the newspaper. Sandy explains her mission as a journalist to write about people and communities that introduce us to one another and soften the...
06.11.2020
40 Years Later: The Eruption of Mount St. Helens with Dr. Robin George Andrews
Forty years ago on May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens in Washington erupted, killing 57 people. It was the most destructive eruption in modern U.S. history. Today on the podcast, we're join by Dr. Robin George Andrews, a volcanologist and...
06.04.2020
Waiting for the Whistle with Arash Markazi
Arash Markazi is a sports columnist with the Los Angeles Times. In this episode of the podcast, Arash shares how he continues to cover the world of sports during a time when, because of COVID-19, no sports are being played....
05.28.2020
The World Adventures of Chris Wolfe
You know Chris Wolfe as the gregarious reporter from KTLA, but did you also know he's basically Indiana Jones? On this episode, Chris tells us all about his childhood in Singapore, trekking through the Himalayas in Nepal, and crawling up...
05.21.2020
Journalism in the Time of COVID-19 with Aaron Nolan
Aaron Nolan is co-anchor KARK 4 Today in Little Rock, Arkansas and anchor of Newsfeed Now, a daily digital newscast that has recently focused on the coronavirus pandemic. Aaron joins Jason and Bobby to discuss what it's like as a...
05.14.2020
Everyday Food with Sarah Carey
Sarah Carey is the editorial food director at Martha Stewart Living and the host of Everyday Food with Sarah Carey. She joins Jason and Bobby via Skype from upstate New York. Sarah shares show she discovered her passion for food...
05.07.2020
Modern Luxury with Chris Gialanella
Chris Gialanella is the Los Angeles and Orange County group publisher for Modern Luxury Magazine, which includes publications like Angeleno Magazine, Riviera Magazine, Interiors, and more. Chris shares how the COVID-19 has affected the world of magazine publishing, and how...
04.30.2020
Following the Path with Kris Van Cleave
Kris Van Cleave, CBS News travel correspondent, began his news career as an intern at KTLA. In this episode of the podcast, Kris shares how he followed his career path to eventually find himself working in Washington, D.C. He also...
04.23.2020
Leading the Way with KTLA VP and General Manager Janene Drafs
On February 10th this year, Janene Drafs walked through the doors at KTLA as the new VP and general manager. On this episode of the podcast, she joins us remotely to talk about running a news station during the COVID-19...
04.16.2020
Unchained! with Jane Velez-Mitchell
Jane Velez-Mitchell is a journalist, author, and activist. She is the founder of Jane Unchained, a digital news network for animal rights and the vegan lifestyle. On this episode of the podcast, Jane chronicles her career in journalism. She talks...
04.09.2020
Coronavirus Daily Podcast with Christina Pascucci
On this episode of the podcast, Jason, Bobby, and reporter Christina Pascucci chat about KTLA's new Coronavirus Daily podcast. Bobby and Christina have been releasing daily podcasts exploring different angles of the COVID-19 pandemic. They have shared stories from U.S....
04.02.2020
Don't Keep Your Day Job with Cathy Heller
Cathy Heller is the author of the book Don't Keep Your Day Job: How to Turn Your Passion Into Your Career. She is also the host of the Don't Keep Your Day Job podcast. Cathy joins Jason and Bobby to...
03.26.2020
Do's & Don'ts of Working from Home with Rich DeMuro
While Jason continues to hold down the fort at the News Director's Office, Producer Bobby and KTLA tech reporter Rich DeMuro are now working from home during the coronavirus outbreak. The three link up to talk about their varying experiences...
03.19.2020
Self-Isolating and the Coronavirus Daily Podcast
As more and more Americans are encouraged to self-isolate to stem the spread of Coronavirus, Jason checks in with Producer Bobby, who has been working from home. They share some tips for those who may be new to working from...

What's The News Director's Office about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

The News Director's Office episodes:

Leaving the Office: the Final Episode

Expanding the Reach of Local Journalism with Laura Davis

Life Is Like a Box of Chocolates with the 5 Live Team

The Biz of Show Biz with Ryan Faughnder

Top Downloads of 2020

The Not-Quite-Ghosts of Christmas Past

Talking Politics with Trevor Shirley

The Business of Storytelling with Craig Lucie

Rocking Out with Suzy Exposito

Landing the Chopper with Tim Lynn

Breaking Down the 2020 Presidential Election with Seema Mehta + Dolly Parton & the Moderna Vaccine

Pushing to be Better with Joe Moeller

A Happy Homecoming with Carlos Herrera

The Path to Purpose with Steve Holzer

Swinging for the Fences with Dan Hellie

LA Unscripted with Dayna Devon, Megan Telles, and Liberte Chan

Come Rain or Shine with Leigh Spann

First Day on the Job with Gene Kang

Once I Was You with Maria Hinojosa

DailyMailTV's New Host Thomas Roberts

2 Years in the Office: Funniest Guests

A Star is Bored with Byron Lane

A Full Circle Career with Nancy Loo

2 Years in the Office: Most Revealing Interviews

Sharing Stories About the Lives of Latinos with Esmeralda Bermudez

2 Years in the Office: Most Educational Interviews

2 Years in the Office: Most Charitable Guests

2 Years in the Office: Most Inspiring Guests

State of the (Nexstar) Nation with CEO Perry Sook

2 Years in the Office: Top 5 Downloads & Our Bosses

Like a REAL Boss with Tiana Sanchez

Mental Health in the Media with Mark Joyella

The One with Vanessa & Jackie from the 'Friends with Friends' Podcast

'Voices of Courage' with KTAL News Director John Walton

That's How I Got to Memphis with Stephanie Scurlock

A Platform to Do Good with Lisa Foxx

Softening the Lines That Divide Us with Sandy Banks

40 Years Later: The Eruption of Mount St. Helens with Dr. Robin George Andrews

Waiting for the Whistle with Arash Markazi

The World Adventures of Chris Wolfe

Journalism in the Time of COVID-19 with Aaron Nolan

Everyday Food with Sarah Carey

Modern Luxury with Chris Gialanella

Following the Path with Kris Van Cleave

Leading the Way with KTLA VP and General Manager Janene Drafs

Unchained! with Jane Velez-Mitchell

Coronavirus Daily Podcast with Christina Pascucci

Don't Keep Your Day Job with Cathy Heller

Do's & Don'ts of Working from Home with Rich DeMuro

Self-Isolating and the Coronavirus Daily Podcast