Today we’d like to introduce you to Diana Daniele
Hi Diana, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I grew up a writer. Creative Writing was my favorite subject in elementary school, and I worked on the school newspaper all four years of high school. I set my sights on UCLA, planning to major in Journalism. Gratefully, I was accepted to UCLA, but, upon arrival, found there was no journalism major, so I pursued a B.A. in Communication Studies, with an emphasis on mass media. As an undergraduate Bruin, I worked on-air at KLA Radio Station and did internships at both NBC-LA and ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT. Because my aspiration was to be a TV News Reporter, I applied to USC’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. I graduated with a Masters in Journalism and the all-important resume reel, which I would need to send out to smaller TV markets across the country to get my first on-camera reporting job.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
There was one thing standing in the way of me and my graduate degree: the money to pay for it. I needed to get creative, about financing, so I tried out for a new game show in town called CARD SHARKS at CBS Television City. Long story short, I won $15, 400 to put toward my degree. A month later, I received my letter of acceptance from USC, and was offered a teaching assistantship, which included full tuition remission, a small monthly stipend, and a parking pass. While studying at USC, I fell into my first PR job, which I recognized as my One True Calling. I celebrated the fact that I was no longer constrained by the WWWWW & H of journalism. Instead, I learned to spin, spin, spin–and I was hooked.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am the founder of Diana Daniele Communications, a boutique PR firm specializing in literary, entertainment, and hospitality public relations as well as special events and public affairs. Known for my media relations savvy, creative branding and social media expertise, I began my career in PR while earning my master’s degree from the Annenberg School of Communication & Journalism at the University of Southern California. While there, I won a Research Grant to study “How Barbie Speaks Sexually to Children,” which I completed at USC’s Institute for the Study of Women and Men (ISWM), a feminist think tank studying how women’s gender roles are portrayed in film and on television.
When my research was complete, I was invited to stay on at ISWM, working with both the press and sponsors such as Paramount Pictures, DreamWorks, and NBC/Universal. Over the years, I have represented The Beverly Hills Hotel, Saks Fifth Avenue, Ralph Lauren, Martin Katz Jewelry, KUSC-FM Classical Radio, AMC Theatres, Rock the Vote, and the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, among many others. I have also worked in an international diplomatic capacity, running publicity for and organizing outreach events at the United States Embassy’s Cultural Center in Madrid, Spain.
A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles, I have also completed coursework in English Literature at University of Cambridge, England and earned my bilingual certificate from the University of Madrid, Complutense. I am currently writing a memoir: DAMN, GIRL: A Miraculous Memoir of Motherhood, Migraine, and Madness.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
People have often remarked to me that I was lucky, And I do believe that luck and timing are a part of the picture. But not all of it. I believe you help make lucky things happen by putting yourself out there in creative ways–and my career path certainly reflects that.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://dianadanielepr.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dianadanielepr/
- Twitter: https://x.com/DianaFDaniele
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Diana-Daniele
