It seems that a lot of people have died lately. A lot of celebrities. Michael Jackson and Billy Mays shocked me, but the grief that anyone can feel for a celebrity they'd never met pales in comparison to the grief that those of us that worked day in and out with Edward A. Stevenson, chief editor at WAGA, feel since his passing on Saturday.
The overall sentiment I am hearing from my peers is appreciation that Eddie took a chance on them, and I fall into this category as well. Eddie hired me as a freelancer while I was still in college and had barely crossed the threshold of a newsroom. I don't know how he did it, but Eddie seemed to be able to recognize the ambition and dedication in people that working as a news editor requires. There were so many of us- Randy, Garret, Jorge, Johnathan, Matt.... me, that Eddie took a chance on and although there were a few misses (none of the afore mentioned), overall, we were a group of hard, dedicated workers that gelled together as a team. I've had several jobs since leaving WAGA, but no group of co-workers has ever touched the familial relationship that we had there. We were like siblings and Eddie, our father.
There was no doubt that Eddie loved us. He not only supported us in our jobs as we learned the ropes of the news business, but he also counseled us on personal issues and regularly took us out for drinks and to play pool after work. Eddie, who had no children of his own, loved us and nurtured us and when it was time for us to leave the nest, he sent us on our way, just as sure that we would be successes in our future endeavors as he was when he hired us.
Eddie was my boss for six years and not only did I learn the technical aspects of news production from him, but I also learned skills that have been invaluable since I have pursued other interests- namely, I learned to be laid-back. Eddie was never frazzled. Never shaken. Never gave in to the panic that can so easily take over when you've got thirty seconds left on your deadline and fifteen seconds of video left to cover. Eddie was always calm, even when producers and reporters were over his shoulder, watching as he made the final few cuts on a piece, literally seconds before it hit the airwaves. I always admired him for that and I've strived to take those nerves of steel with me. I also learned from Eddie, that a positive attitude goes a long way. You may not be the best, but you have to approach every situation with a can-do attitude and you have to believe in yourself. But you must also temper that with knowing when you aren't going to meet your goals and making a contingency plan. Don't say that you are going to make slot if you aren't because other people are depending on you. You have to know your strengths and weaknesses. You have to be honest.
Eddie took a chance on me and I know that he was happy with how I turned out and I am forever indebted to him for seeing something in me that I didn't know that I had.
He will be missed and remembered and appreciated.
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