When a story nearly costs you your life, everything changes.

In this episode of The Honey Pod, Paulina Bucka sits down with longtime CBS reporter Joe Vazquez — mentor, newsroom veteran, and survivor of a violent attack on assignment. After 35+ years in journalism, Joe opens up about the rising danger facing news crews, the collapse of resources in modern newsrooms, and the moment that forced him to walk away from an industry that became his identity.

Together they discuss:

• The day Joe’s security guard was shot during a robbery attempt

• Burnout, overload, and the “fog” that follows years in the field

• MMJs, newsroom cuts, and why the quality of reporting is suffering

• How journalists cope — and why many don’t

• What it takes to rebuild a life after leaving news

• Joe’s evolution from Joe Newsman to Joe Bluesman
  

This conversation is clear, direct, and powerful — a necessary look at the modern reality of journalism and what happens when the hive becomes hazardous.

New episodes every Thursday.