Off Deadline
Off Deadline goes beyond the headlines to reveal what really happens when the cameras stop rolling and the deadlines pass. Host Melissa DiGianfilippo, Founder and CEO of Proof Publicity, creates a rare safe space where top journalists drop their professional guard to share the moments that changed everything—the ethical crossroads that kept them awake, the sources that most surprised them, the stories that broke them, and the victories no one will ever write about.
From the hilarious disasters to the heart-stopping close calls, veteran journalists share the wild, unforgettable moments that never made it into their reporting. These are the behind-the-scenes confessions, the career-defining chaos, and the human moments that remind us why journalism is equal parts calling and complete madness. This isn't about breaking news—it's about the people who lived through the craziest moments while chasing the story, and the experiences they'll never forget.
If you've ever wondered what it really takes to be a storyteller in our chaotic world, Off Deadline delivers the raw, unfiltered truth behind journalism's most compelling voices.
Watch on YouTube and listen wherever you get your podcasts!
Episodes
36 episodes
Bahar Anooshahr, Arizona Republic Restaurant Critic, on Quitting Oral Surgery & Never Eating Free
She used to sit in her car after work in tears and could not explain why, because there is no crying in oral surgery. A wellness retreat in Baja California gave her the answer she did not want: she was done being a surgeon. Today Bahar Anooshah...
Patrick O'Grady on 30 Years in Arizona Newsrooms, X-Acto Knives to Digital & Selling the Story
He keeps every thank-you note a reader has ever mailed him, because journalists mostly hear the other kind of feedback. Patrick O'Grady has spent 30 years in Valley journalism, from the X-Acto knife and waxer days to tracking newsletter open ra...
Amy Silverman on Three Decades Covering Phoenix, the Arpaio Wedding Rumor & a Ronan Farrow DM
Sheriff Joe Arpaio spent years telling people he was at her wedding. He was not. Amy Silverman covered him too long and too well for that rumor to survive, and it is not even the strangest story in this episode.Amy Silverman is a journa...
Aiesha Beasley on Building Arizona Places, Brand Deal Regrets & the Industry Plant Rumor
She was furloughed for three months during Covid, started throwing videos at TikTok for fun, and Arizona Places happened by accident. Six years later she is full time, and the advice she gives anyone chasing it is blunt: a hobby mindset gives y...
Joe Huizenga on 22 Years in Radio, Losing 100 Pounds With Crohn's & Why He Won't Play Gotcha
A doctor told him at twelve that if he treated Crohn's disease like a death sentence, it would become one. Twenty years later Joe Huizenga lost 100 pounds during Covid and ran a marathon almost entirely alone, no crowd, no finish line medal. It...
Kyle Unfug on 20 Years on The Johnjay & Rich Show, Shwanding & the Rumor She Had to Live Down
Kyle Unfug blew off radio. She took the internship to get it out of the way, decided radio was the worst, and planned to go do television instead. Twenty-five years later she is still there, and she has co-hosted The Johnjay & Rich Show sin...
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Paul Maryniak on 50 Years in Newsrooms, the Jail Interview He Regrets & Being Mistaken for a Gunman
The guard walked out and closed the door. Paul Maryniak was left sitting across a table from a 28-year-old on trial for his fifth homicide, no handcuffs, close enough to touch. He listened the whole time thinking one thing: I have to get out of...
Stephanie Innes on Covering the Giffords Shooting, Health Reporting & 33 Years in Journalism
She was out running errands when her phone would not stop ringing. Stephanie Innes pulled her car to the side of the road in Tucson and learned that Gabby Giffords, someone she had written about and used to see around town, had been shot. Then ...
David Vicente on Building Welcome to Arizona to 1.3M Followers, a $100 First Client & Going Viral
Their parents thought they were drug dealers. Their first paid post was $100, and they celebrated with wings. Ten years later, David Vicente and his brother have turned Welcome to Arizona into one of the state's biggest local storytelling platf...
Chelsey Hauston on Building @LetThemEatThis, Going Viral in a Monsoon & Living With a Rare Disease
Chelsey Hauston built one of Arizona's most trusted food platforms out of a pet pig fan page and a breakup. Seven years later, she's the creator behind Let Them Eat This, with 336,000 followers on Instagram and 300,000 on TikTok. What most peop...
Christina Silvestri on the Voicemail That Split Her Career, Arizona Foothills and Getting Bold Enough to Ask
She almost didn't answer the call. An unknown number, a voicemail from a Women's Wear Daily reporter, and one bold follow-up question turned into a summer internship in LA. That's the moment Christina Silvestri says split her career into before...
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Kaley O’Kelley on Career Whiplash, Resilience and Finding Purpose in Local News
In this episode of Off Deadline, Melissa DiGianfilippo of Proof Publicity sits down with Kaley O'Kelley of ABC 15 in Phoenix, a broadcast journalist whose career has been shaped by both extraordinary opportunity and deep persona...
Paul Thompson on Truth, Tough Questions and Running the Phoenix Business Journal
In this episode of Off Deadline, host Melissa DiGianfilippo sits down with Paul Thompson, Managing Editor of the Phoenix Business Journal, for an honest conversation about journalism, leadership, and responsibility...
Cynthia Sassi on Going All In and Betting Everything on Fabulous Arizona
In this episode of Off Deadline, host Melissa DiGianfilippo sits down with Cynthia Sassi, founder and publis...
Michelle Glicksman on Editorial Judgment, Magazine Deadlines and What Makes a Story Worth Publishing
In this episode of Off Deadline, host Melissa DiGianfilippo sits down with Michelle Glicksman, a 26-year media veteran and e...
Catherine Anaya on the Career She Built and the Life She Refused to Miss
Catherine Anaya is a three-time Emmy Award winning journalist, longtime Phoenix news anchor, and the host of Horizonte on Arizona PBS. With more than 35 years in broadcast journalism, she has interviewed world leaders, built deep trust...
Karen Dalessandro on Reinvention, Radio Gypsy Life and Becoming a Hall of Fame Broadcaster
In this episode of Off Deadline, host Melissa DiGianfilippo sits down with Karen Dalessandro, a multi-award-winning broadcast...
Javier Soto on the Road From Troublemaker to Trusted Voice in Local News
In this episode of Off Deadline, host Melissa DiGianfilippo (@melissadflip) sits down with @javiersototv<...
Lexy Romano on Phoenix Finds, Fearless Hosting and Building a Local Media Brand
In this episode of Off Deadline, host Melissa DiGianfilippo sits down with @lexyromano, Emmy nominated host, performer and founder of Phoenix Finds Media, the platform spotlighting the stories of local businesses a...
Catherine Reagor on Truth, Fairness & Three Decades Covering Arizona Real Estate
In this episode of Off Deadline, host Melissa DiGianfilippo (@melissadflip) sits down with Catherine Reagor (@cathreagor), senior real estate reporter at The Arizona Republic, who has covered Arizona’s housi...
Nadine Bubeck on Storytelling, Motherhood & Building a Legacy in Lifestyle Media
In this episode of Off Deadline, host @melissadflip sits down with @nadinebubeck, publisher of Paradise ...
Melissa Anaya on Building EatDrinkAZ, Going Viral & Helping Arizona Restaurants Thrive
Melissa Anaya (@eatdrinkaz) has spent the last decade transforming EatDrinkAZ into one of Arizona’s most trusted food and lifestyle platforms. What began as a passion project turn...
How Mike Broomhead Turned Tragedy into a Talk Radio Career
Before he became one of Arizona’s most recognizable voices, Mike Broomhead was a working electrician chasing his brother’s rodeo dreams. When tragedy struck, everything changed. ...
Kristina Guerrero on E! News, Representation & Resilience
Kristina Guerrero (@kristinaguerrero), former E! News correspondent and host of The List, has spent over 20 years in entertainment journalism. From red carpets in Hollywo...
Corina Vanek on Scoops, Scrutiny & How Journalism Shapes Arizona’s Future
Corina Vanek, development reporter with The Arizona Republic, has spent a decade covering development, business, and the stories shaping Arizona’s growth. From breaking one of the state’s biggest scoops to facing scrutiny over c...