STEPHANIE SMITH, Reporter Hometown: Chicago Alma mater: Northwestern Star sign: Cancer Previous gig: Memo Pad reporter, WWD; reporter, MediaWeek; writer-reporter, Money First media job: “Contributing to Playboy.com. Stories, not photos!” Best Scoop: “I had the story about Chelsea Clinton’s husband, Marc Mezvinsky, quitting his job to become a ski bum in Jackson Hole, WY. Other media outlets were so afraid it was wrong that no one wanted to pick it up the next day. But the day after, it exploded everywhere.” Trick of the trade: “Work the phones every day.” EARLY SIGNS OF PROMISE: “People told me all of their dirt in high school. I was never a big party girl, but I always knew who went to what parties, who hooked up with who, who was breaking up with who, and who got arrested. People would tell me all of their business on Monday morning!” A great gossip reporter...: “Knows how to read a room. There are some situations where you just want to watch and observe for a bit before approaching.” Favorite Beat: “CEOs and tech types. When Paris Hilton goes wild in a nightclub, it’s not newsworthy. But if Bill Gates had a dance-off at a bar mitzvah with a bunch of 13-year-olds? Now, that’s a good read!” FUNNIEST REACTION TO BEING a Sixer: “People always say, ‘But you’re so nice!’ when they find out I work here. We’re actually all nice! There’s a lot of laughter here.” Page Six in six words: “Lohan, Bloomberg, Jay-Z, Clooney, Weinstein, and Wintour.”
MELISSA CRONIN, Web Editor Hometown: Abington, MA Alma Mater: Harvard Star sign: Cancer Previous gigs: Deputy news editor, Star magazine; senior editor, In Touch First Media job: “I started at Star magazine almost exactly five years ago! They sent me out on a lot of adventures all across the country. It was definitely a great way to get to know the industry from the ground up. It was also an opportunity to visit the Britney Spears Museum in Kentwood, Louisiana.” Why you Bookmark PageSix.com: “We’re posting fresh exclusives throughout the day. We broke the news that Beyoncé had lip-synched at the inauguration!” print vs. online: “It’s actually easier to cover gossip online, because I can post stuff immediately and don’t have to worry about other people breaking a story first. For a journalist, that’s the most stressful feeling in the world! It sometimes takes a few minutes for stories to show up on the website—whenever I have something big, I sit there refreshing like a maniac.” Not-So-GOSSIP SOURCE: “Twitter, duh.”
MARA SIEGLER, Reporter
LORRAINE CHOW, Web Reporter
Hometown: Novelty, Ohio (“40 minutes outside Cleveland”) Alma Mater: Ohio University Star sign: Scorpio Previous gigs: Editor at AVENUE and GuestofaGuest.com and “a ton of freelance writing and reporting” for the Daily News’ Gatecrasher column First Media job: Covering the events industry for the trade mag BizBash Reporting tip: “Keep your eyes open at all times. I’ve heard crazy things from smokers or in the bathroom. And always ask the follow-up question: You rarely get a second chance.” Biggest rookie mistake: “Not making sure you have the exclusive. It’s terrible to have something you think is great, only to find out everyone else has it, too!” Lesson from the trenches: “If you have to ask something tough, make it your last question and be polite. The first gossip assignment I ever had, I was so nervous I barged up to a big movie star’s table while he was eating at some super-fancy benefit at Cipriani. America’s favorite action star told me to go f*ck myself. I cried in the bathroom, but his blow-up ended up being the story!”
Hometown: Los Angeles Alma Mater: Loyola Marymount Star sign: Sagittarius Previous gigs: Assistant editor, HollywoodLife.com; intern-turned-associate editor, iVillage.com First Media job: An internship at CNN WEB 101: “The celebs we cover online are different than the ones in print: More Lohan and Kardashian. The web audience is different. There’s a reason why the Al Roker story went viral!” DAILY GRIND: “We’re up early because that’s when most people are on the Internet. The feeling of immediacy and posting stories before they break on other sites is a real rush. We know how to write headlines for SEO purposes to make sure it’s on top of a Google search.” EARLY SIGNS OF PROMISE: “Growing up in L.A. I was always fascinated by the entertainment industry. I think I watched a little too much E!” Best Scoop: “Nicki Minaj being denied entry to her own album release party at Greenhouse. I left the event bummed that she never showed up. We found out the next day that she wasn’t allowed in because she showed up at 3 a.m. with an entourage 30-deep.” Off-duty gossiping: “I try to turn it off when I leave work, but I inevitably find myself obsessively dissecting Lindsay Lohan’s latest stunt with my friends.” DREAM JOB: “I really admire Malcolm Gladwell.”
