Sports journalism and media were two spaces Ed Easton Jr. became passionate about during his time in college. For this Brooklyn, New York native, joining the first-ever radio station his freshman year at SUNY College at Old Westbury revealed a world that combined his love for storytelling and sports. One that, in the years to come, would lead him on a journey to become an award-winning multimedia journalist and streaming media professional. Throughout his time in college, Ed secured an array of internships in radio that helped him understand the business more, build his network further, and explore his interests within media. This was just the beginning. After graduating from college, Ed embarked on his journey in media—working for a radio station's street team while also writing and curating content on the side for the stations he was working for. He was on a mission. Determined to find his way into the sports business, Ed began doing freelance work with MSG Networks—covering everything from basketball to baseball to football games at the high school level. It was only up from there. From CBS Sports to FanSided to FOX Sports, Ed continued working as a freelancer with several sports media organizations and grew his brand in the industry further. The rest is history! In 2019, Ed joined USA TODAY Sports and is currently a staff writer and anchor for the company's “Chiefs Wire” division covering the Kansas City Chiefs.
How was that transition from college into the world of sports media like for you? What were some challenges that you faced early on?
I would say the biggest switch is…when you do it in college, it's within your community; so it's people that you go to class with. It's where you can write a story about somebody and then they’re there in your class the next day. That was the biggest difference—you're more within that community. When you start doing it on a professional level (and) making that transition, you realize that not only are you covering professional athletes, (but) you can't look at them as: “Oh, these are my heroes.” You can't really be a fan. You have to be a professional and understand that you're doing your job. I feel like that's something a lot of people lose track of when they get in those types of rooms—you have to be a professional, you have to understand what you're doing, and make sure that you're doing your job to the best of your ability. The best example of that is: going from covering the baseball team in college to covering some baseball games professionally for the Yankees or covering some games for the Knicks. I think one of the biggest interviews I did—transitioning from the college mindset—was (when) I had the rare opportunity to speak with the late great Kobe Bryant. Of course we're all fans, but you have to go in there with that mentality like: “Ok, I have to ask him these questions. I can't just be like ‘Oh my God, you're Kobe Bryant’.” That to me was such a big transition because when you're in college, it's guys you know; when you're doing it professionally (though), these are all superstars, people that are on television every day, and are famous everywhere they walk. Those are things that you really don't learn in college. We can all learn the basics, but it's the experience of just knowing how to live in that type of realm (that) helps.
You mentioned that you had a lot of internships throughout your time in college, which helped once you graduated to immerse yourself in the world of sports. How did you work to navigate through some of those specific challenges you faced once you made that transition from college into the professional space?
Going through the internships was something where you gotta realize you'll be working free. I think that's the biggest wake-up call for everybody. I did three internships that I never got paid for. The main payment, as they always say, is the experience and something that you can put on your resume—which is very important. You make connections while you're there (as well). To me, that was something that I had to grow, understand, and take very seriously. The best example is that with 1010 WINS, which I currently work in a more freelance role now. Originally, back when I was an intern, you were doing the same work as a producer at times. You’re like: “Man, I’m not getting paid.” But, I had to realize how important that was for me to get that experience because not too long after I graduated I was able to get a job right away—because I had those skills and had that experience to go with it. When you're in the moment, you're always kind of beating yourself up like: “Oh my God, I'm doing this for free.” I had to make sure I had enough money to get on the train, (etc). But then, when you're actually doing it and you're on the other side of it after the internship—where you are able to put on your resume what you did—it just makes you shine a lot more. You come in already ready to work without having to go through too much training because you've already had that experience of working in that realm. It's such a benefit. It is such valuable time that you can't really ignore.
In 2006, you also founded your own company, Keeping It Real Sports LLC. What was the inspiration behind embarking on this venture?
The motivation for that was…back then, I listened to a lot of hip-hop. I used to always think (about) how Jay-Z had Roc-A-Fella and how it was independent when he first started doing it—him and Dame Dash. So my mindset was: just in case I don't get an official job in this business professionally, I still want to be able to produce content and still control my own narrative. If I wanna go and let's say work for like ESPN, USA TODAY, or something like that, I have my own reel and have my own resume. I don't have to just be begging for work all the time—that was my hope. I always wanted it to be something that we could fall back on, whether it's myself or friends of mine that were helping out with the site. I made sure I established an LLC for it. It was just something that I wanted to make sure I could rely on, and it was something that you can't take from me.
"I actually have two of them and they're both pretty known. The first one is the Spider-Man quote: "With great power comes great responsibility". That's a deep one. The other one is a Michael Jordan (quote) where he says, “I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can't accept not trying.” I like that a lot and I think those are two big ones that I've always gone back to. The whole ‘I can accept failure, but I can't accept not trying’ is such a real thing. You know, it would drive me nuts if I didn't try this. I'd rather fail and know that it didn't work than just not try. "
- Ed on his favorite quotes to live by.
You've had roles in production, journalism, and have also tapped into the digital side of things. Diving into your brand, how did you get started building your personal brand in this space?