Life After News
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.
Life After News
Latest Episodes
🎙️ Chase Cain Bet on Himself. Now He’s Betting on YouTube to Change Climate Coverage 🌎🎥
What happens when a veteran TV journalist walks away from a major network job to build something of his own?In this episode of Life After News, Jason talks with meteorologist and climate reporter Chase Cain about leaving NB...
🎙️ From the Fall of the Soviet Union to “Superpower California,” Markos Kounalakis has seen it all
What does the collapse of the Soviet Union teach us about the world today? And why might California be one of the most powerful places on Earth even without an army?In this episode of Life After News, Jason sits down with Marko...
🎙️ Paul Magers on Sobriety, Newsroom Successes, and a Night with Paul McCartney
What happens after the anchor desk? For longtime Los Angeles and Minneapolis news anchor Paul Magers, life after news has been meaningful, reflective, and surprisingly joyful.Paul joins Jason for a candid conversation about leavin...
🎙️ From Anchor to Attorney: Hema Mullur’s Reinvention Story
Jason joins this week from Arkansas, where he’s helping his parents through health challenges and he opens the episode with a blunt reality check about the state of the news business.Layoffs are accelerating. Nexstar. The Washington Post...
🎙️ He Ran WABC at Its Peak and Became My Mentor. Bart Feder’s Life After News
“Sometimes good guys do finish first.” ✅ In this episode, I sit down with Bart Feder, former News Director at WABC, former SVP at CNN, and one of the most influential mentors I’ve ever had (and the mentor to dozens of n...