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
🎙️ From Reporting to Working with Reese Witherspoon: Simone Boyce’s Life After News
This week, Jason sits down with Simone Boyce, former KTLA reporter, MTV News & Access Hollywood host, and the very first anchor of NBC News Signal (now NBC News Now). From those early experimental days of streaming news to hosting The Bright Side for Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine, Simone has lived many chapters of life in and after news. And now? She’s eyeing a future in political comedy. 🎭✨
Simone opens up about:
- 🌎 Breaking into 30 Rock and building something new at NBC
- 💡 Why experimenting in news mattered (even when execs didn’t always “get it”)
- 👩👧 How motherhood changed her career trajectory during the pandemic
- 🎧 Building The Bright Side and interviewing icons like Reese Witherspoon, Halle Berry, and Matthew McConaughey
- 😂 Why comedy might be her next big reinvention
Plus, Simone shares what’s ahead—including hosting a live conversation with Chrissy Teigen at Shine Away 2025 (Oct 11–12 at Universal Studios, CA). 🎟️ Tickets here
🔗 Links & Resources
- Simone’s podcast The Bright Side
- Shine Away 2025 tickets: shineaway.hello-sunshine.co
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👀 Coming Up Next
On the next episode, Jason talks with his good friend Olson Ebright about making a difference in your neighborhood through hyper-local politics and grassroots change. 🌱🏡 Don’t miss it!
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Let Life After News inspire your next chapter. Because leaving the news doesn’t mean the story’s over—it means a new one’s just beginning.