Sam Eifling on Viral Journalism, Rodeo Cowboys & the Lost Art of Making Readers Feel

What do undercover cops, a legal loophole, and one viral headline have in common? They all collided in a story that actually changed the law—and Sam Eifling was the reporter who broke it. In this episode of Off Deadline, the Phoenix New Times Editor-in-Chief shares how a tip about Hawaii police officers "legally" sleeping with sex workers turned into a national news frenzy. From a viral Associated Press headline to live NPR coverage and even a Colbert sketch, Sam's reporting led to a real policy change—within days.

00:00 – Intro: Meet Sam Eifling, Editor-in-Chief of Phoenix New Times
01:04 – From Arkansas to Northwestern: Sam’s path to journalism
03:23 – Rick Reilly, dorm stalls & early writing inspiration
04:58 – What journalism teaches you about the real world
06:55 – Why pitching journalists is like online dating
07:57 – The Hawaii story that changed the law
12:02 – From tip to AP headlines to Senate outrage
14:58 – Why other reporters missed the same story
16:04 – Bottled water, Patriot Act & stories that never aired
19:34 – Why even failed stories can teach you a lot
20:53 – Career disruption and the loss of legacy media
22:55 – $20K rodeo road trip: Sam’s wildest feature
25:30 – Butterfly effects and changing cowboys’ lives
26:43 – The one story that got away
28:59 – Don’t wait—why speed matters in storytelling
29:54 – Writing that makes people feel something
30:51 – The hidden work behind powerful stories
31:48 – Why many writers can’t describe what they see
34:40 – How writing quality affects Google performance
35:02 – Rapid fire questions
35:22 – Most bizarre interview location
35:25 – Dream story with an unlimited budget
35:45 – Best headline ever written
36:48 – If not a journalist, then what?
38:02 – Advice for new journalists
39:10 – Wrap-up

With 20+ years of journalism experience (The New York Times, ESPN, Harper’s, Netflix's Patriot Act), Sam also opens up about the stories that never ran, the reporting tricks that actually work, and why writers today struggle to make readers feel something.

🎙 In this episode:
– The viral headline that sparked a law change in Hawaii
– A rodeo van trip that became an epic, $20K magazine story
– Why writing well still wins—even in a TikTok world
– What he wishes more journalists (and PR pros) understood
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Follow Sam Eifling on IG: @sameifling

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