In this episode of Life After News, Jason Ball sits down with Tony Morrison—a media pro whose career path took him from CNN📰 and Good Morning America ☀️ to advocacy work at GLAAD 🏳️🌈, and now to launching his own media company, the Morrison Media Group 🚀.
Tony’s journey is anything but traditional. He started as a business major who couldn’t pass finance 📉, discovered photography 📸, and wound up behind the camera in TV production. From hidden cameras on What Would You Do? to overnight shifts at CNN New Day 🌙, Tony built his foundation in fast-paced, collaborative newsrooms before moving into the high-energy world of GMA.
But Tony’s story goes deeper ❤️. At GMA, he found the courage to come out more fully—not just as a gay man, but also by sharing his HIV status through a personal essay that helped break stigma and inspired others. That leap toward authenticity eventually led him to GLAAD, where he championed inclusive storytelling across newsrooms, Hollywood 🎬, and publishing 📚.
Now, Tony is creating his own vision for storytelling. With Morrison Media Group, he’s focused on digital video 📲 and authentic narratives that bridge gaps in representation—especially for LGBTQ+ communities and nonprofits that often lack the resources for high-quality production.
This conversation dives into:
🌙 Lessons from CNN overnights + GMA’s morning magic
📲 Building social media strategy from scratch
🧡 Publishing his personal HIV story—and the surprising reaction
🌈 Why representation in media matters
🚀 Taking the leap to launch his own media company
💡 Advice for anyone considering stepping out on their own: “Don’t worry about the plan. The plan will reveal itself.”
🔗 Morrison Media Group: https://www.morrisonmediahq.com/home
📝 Tony’s personal essay on living with HIV: https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/living/story/personal-essay-learned-living-hiv-secret-years-79392051
👉 Follow Jason on Instagram: @MrJasonBall | @LifeAfterNewsPod
🌐 Visit lifeafternews.com
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.
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