Chez Pazienza
Encyclopedia
Cesare Dominic Pazienza (born December 11, 1969) is an American journalist, author and media consultant. He is the founder and managing editor of Deus Ex Malcontent, a blog which rose to prominence after Pazienza was fired from his job as a senior producer at CNN in 2008, as well as the CEO of DXM Media
and eventually an investigative reporter for Miami's WSVN
TV.
, was enrolled for the 8th grade at Dade Christian School
, a strict Baptist academy, and ultimately attended high school at Monsignor Edward Pace High School
in the Miami suburb of Opa-locka, Florida
. He graduated in 1987 and was voted Most Talented in the Arts among his senior class.
Immediately after high school, Pazienza enrolled at the University of Miami
, majoring in motion pictures with a double-major in psychology. He joined the staff of WVUM
, the school's radio station, becoming both a DJ and a specialty show host. In 1990, after becoming a drummer in an alternative rock
band and deciding that he hoped to make a living playing music, Pazienza left the university, a year short of graduating.
. While there he received his first regional Emmy Award
, in 1996, and won a prestigious Golden Mic Award. He went on to work as a producer at KNBC
in Los Angeles, where he was given his second regional Emmy, and an executive producer at KCAL-TV
in Los Angeles. During his time in television he also served as a producer and manager at WTVJ
NBC 6 and WPLG
10 in Miami, and at MSNBC
in New York City following the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center
in 2001. His TV career culminated with a senior producer position at CNN
, first in Atlanta, Georgia then in New York City.
. The firing garnered a small amount of media attention and amplified the debate over whether it is acceptable for a journalist to publicly express his or her personal views on personal time; it also drew attention to the new ethical issues suddenly facing mainstream news organization in the age of social media. Pazienza capitalized on the attention, writing a scathing column for The Huffington Post detailing some of his experiences at CNN, specifically what he felt was a dereliction of duty by the network and mainstream news outlets in general when it came to covering serious news. Since then he has continued writing about subjects involving the media; he regularly mines his personal experiences as a television news producer to offer opinionated commentary on topics including NBC
's role in the late-night war between Conan O'Brien
and Jay Leno
, and CNN's decision to fire Rick Sanchez
, whom Pazienza worked closely with at several points throughout his career.
Early life
Pazienza was born and raised in Miami, Florida, the only child of Mickie and Ralph Pazienza. Throughout most of his childhood his mother was a real estate agent, while his father was an officer with the Miami-Dade Police DepartmentMiami-Dade Police Department
The Miami-Dade Police Department , formerly known as the Metro-Dade County Police Department , Dade County Public Safety Department and the Dade County Sheriff's Office is a Limited Service County Police Department serving Miami-Dade County, Florida's unincorporated areas, although they have...
and eventually an investigative reporter for Miami's WSVN
WSVN
WSVN, channel 7, is a television station located in Miami, Florida, USA. WSVN is owned by Sunbeam Television, and is an affiliate of the Fox Broadcasting Company. The station has its studio facilities located in North Bay Village and transmitter based in north Miami-Dade County.WSVN operates a Key...
TV.
Education
Pazienza attended elementary school at Atlantic Christian School in Hialeah, FloridaHialeah, Florida
Hialeah is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 226,419. As of 2009, the population estimate by the U. S...
, was enrolled for the 8th grade at Dade Christian School
Dade Christian School
Dade Christian School is a private school located in Country Club, Florida and operated by New Testament Baptist Church. DCS has a 2011-2012 enrollment of 793. In 2008, it was the second largest private school in Miami-Dade. The school was named a Blue Ribbon School in 1984...
, a strict Baptist academy, and ultimately attended high school at Monsignor Edward Pace High School
Monsignor Edward Pace High School
Monsignor Edward Pace High School is a Catholic secondary school in Miami Gardens, Florida.It was named a Blue Ribbon School in 2002 and one of the top 50 Catholic high schools in the country in 2004 and 2005 by the Catholic High School Honor Roll. Pace is member of the National Catholic...
in the Miami suburb of Opa-locka, Florida
Opa-locka, Florida
Opa-locka is a city located in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. As of the mid decade census, the population was 15,376 as recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau....
. He graduated in 1987 and was voted Most Talented in the Arts among his senior class.
Immediately after high school, Pazienza enrolled at the University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
, majoring in motion pictures with a double-major in psychology. He joined the staff of WVUM
WVUM
WVUM is a non-commercial college radio broadcasting an eclectic radio format with a focus on new and electronic music not played on commercial radio stations in the area. Licensed to Coral Gables, Florida, in the United States, the station serves the University of Miami and the surrounding Coral...
, the school's radio station, becoming both a DJ and a specialty show host. In 1990, after becoming a drummer in an alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band and deciding that he hoped to make a living playing music, Pazienza left the university, a year short of graduating.
Career
Pazienza began a career in television news in 1992 as a writer/producer at WSVN TV. After rising quickly through the ranks to the position of executive producer he left, moving to Los Angeles to accept a job as a senior producer at KCBS-TVKCBS-TV
KCBS-TV, channel 2, is an owned-and-operated television station of the CBS Television Network, located in Los Angeles, California. KCBS-TV shares its offices and studio facilities with sister station KCAL-TV inside CBS Studio Center in the Studio City section of Los Angeles, and its transmitter...
. While there he received his first regional Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
, in 1996, and won a prestigious Golden Mic Award. He went on to work as a producer at KNBC
KNBC
KNBC, channel 4, is an owned-and-operated television station of the NBC Television Network, licensed to Los Angeles, California, USA. KNBC's studios and offices are located within the NBC Studios complex in Burbank, California, and its transmitter is located on Mount Wilson...
in Los Angeles, where he was given his second regional Emmy, and an executive producer at KCAL-TV
KCAL-TV
KCAL-TV, channel 9, is an independent television station in Los Angeles, California, USA, owned by the CBS Corporation. KCAL-TV shares its studio facilities with KCBS-TV inside CBS Studio Center in the Studio City section of Los Angeles, and its transmitter is located atop Mount Wilson.-Digital...
in Los Angeles. During his time in television he also served as a producer and manager at WTVJ
WTVJ
WTVJ, virtual channel 6 , is an owned-and-operated television station of the NBC television network, located in Broward County. WTVJ shares its TV studio and office facility with co-owned Telemundo station WSCV in Miramar, Florida, and its transmitter is located near Sun Life Stadium in north...
NBC 6 and WPLG
WPLG
WPLG, channel 10, is an ABC network affiliated television station located in Miami, Florida. WPLG is owned and operated by Post-Newsweek Stations, a subsidiary of the Washington Post Company. The station's studios are located in Pembroke Park, and its transmitter is located at the massive broadcast...
10 in Miami, and at MSNBC
MSNBC
MSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...
in New York City following the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center
World Trade Center
The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new...
in 2001. His TV career culminated with a senior producer position at CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
, first in Atlanta, Georgia then in New York City.
Fired by CNN
On February 12, 2008, Pazienza was fired by CNN for maintaining a personal blog, called Deus Ex Malcontent, which was started in the summer of 2006, as well as contributing opinion pieces to The Huffington PostThe Huffington Post
The Huffington Post is an American news website and content-aggregating blog founded by Arianna Huffington, Kenneth Lerer, and Jonah Peretti, featuring liberal minded columnists and various news sources. The site offers coverage of politics, theology, media, business, entertainment, living, style,...
. The firing garnered a small amount of media attention and amplified the debate over whether it is acceptable for a journalist to publicly express his or her personal views on personal time; it also drew attention to the new ethical issues suddenly facing mainstream news organization in the age of social media. Pazienza capitalized on the attention, writing a scathing column for The Huffington Post detailing some of his experiences at CNN, specifically what he felt was a dereliction of duty by the network and mainstream news outlets in general when it came to covering serious news. Since then he has continued writing about subjects involving the media; he regularly mines his personal experiences as a television news producer to offer opinionated commentary on topics including NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's role in the late-night war between Conan O'Brien
Conan O'Brien
Conan Christopher O'Brien is an American television host, comedian, writer, producer and performer. Since November 2010 he has hosted Conan, a late-night talk show that airs on the American cable television station TBS....
and Jay Leno
Jay Leno
James Douglas Muir "Jay" Leno is an American stand-up comedian and television host.From 1992 to 2009, Leno was the host of NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Beginning in September 2009, Leno started a primetime talk show, titled The Jay Leno Show, which aired weeknights at 10:00 p.m. ,...
, and CNN's decision to fire Rick Sanchez
Rick Sanchez
Ricardo León "Rick" Sánchez de Reinaldo , known professionally as Rick Sanchez, is a Cuban-American journalist, author and former TV news anchor...
, whom Pazienza worked closely with at several points throughout his career.