Liza Minnelli Outlives’ Beats ‘The New York Times’ in Breaking News

If you’re “I saw the plane hit the second tower live on TV” years old, you know that news consumption has drastically changed. Nowadays, we get breaking stories from social media or friends sharing links more than from traditional radio and morning news slots.

The fastest source for breaking news on social media isn’t The New York Times or even the Associated Press. It’s the Twitter account @LizaMinnelliOutlives. On a recent Tuesday, as I checked the account first thing in the morning, they had already broken the news of Kamala Harris being picked as the vice president, beating Pop Crave by a minute.

@LizaMinnelliOutlives also scooped Pop Crave on the Sunday afternoon announcement of Biden’s withdrawal. I spoke with Scott Gorenstein, the publicist behind the legendary account, to find out how he delivers news so quickly and why he does it through the lens of Liza Minnelli.

When asked how he manages to post news so quickly, Gorenstein explained that it’s a mix of luck and preparation. “Sometimes there’s a lot of preparation if I have a subject that I think I might want to tweet about. For example, if it’s Trump on trial, I’ll start following specific reporters and turn on alerts for real-time updates. I often have drafts prepared days in advance,” he said.

Gorenstein confessed that he can get obsessive. “For big announcements, such as the VP pick, I was on vacation but had to leave early due to poor cell coverage. I didn’t want to miss being one of the first to tweet about it. When my anxiety and excitement are through the roof, I know it’s better to be at home, ready to post immediately,” he explained.

Gorenstein’s speed at posting news also comes from his professional background. “As a publicist, I know who’s legitimate. For instance, if Peter Baker from The New York Times posts exclusive news, I trust it immediately. Sometimes, I even pull my car over to start writing or scrolling, because you can’t wait until you get home for a big story,” he said.

On why he chose Liza Minnelli as the theme for his account, Gorenstein said, “I take any opportunity to remind the world of her greatness. Today, 10,000 people are reading about Liza Minnelli in some way, and I love that.”

When asked why he sticks to Twitter and doesn’t expand to platforms like Threads or Instagram, Gorenstein was firm. “A number of friends suggested I try other platforms, but I’m not interested. Twitter’s my thing. It took me four years to get to this point, and I’m not keen on starting over. I’ll get obsessed about the numbers sometimes, but followers will either come or they won’t,” he remarked.

His dedication has paid off. “I beat everyone. I don’t know the process other outlets like The New York Times have to go through, but I imagine they have more hoops to jump through. For instance, during Biden’s announcement, I was literally hitting the post button as my friend was still confirming it for me,” he revealed.

Gorenstein’s humor often seeps through his tweets, although sometimes the timing doesn’t allow for it. “Sometimes I kick myself because I could have made it funny, but you don’t always have the time. It’s inherently amusing since it’s Liza outliving the event,” he added.

The conversation turned somber when discussing what would happen if LizaOutlives outlived Liza Minnelli herself. “That’s never going to happen. I won’t ever address anything like that. Liza Minnelli has meant so much to me my entire life, I can’t imagine thinking about it,” he said quietly.

To those unfamiliar with Liza Minnelli’s legacy, Gorenstein had parting words: “Go watch Cabaret or Liza with a Z. The Cabaret movie is one of the greatest films of all time, with one of the most incredible performances ever captured on film. Every time I get to talk about the wonder and majesty that is Liza Minnelli, I’m happy.”

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Source: The Daily Beast