Conversations with Ed Easton Jr.

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ed Easton Jr..

Alright, thank you for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, how did you get started?
I joined USA Today Sports Media Group’s Chiefs Wire in 2019. I’ve been working as a Senior Beat Writer on the staff covering the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs. Along with the day-to-day reporting, I host the weekly podcast series (The Chiefs Wire Podcast) featuring interviews with current and former Chiefs players and celebrity fans, including Eric Stonestreet, Rob Riggle, Kevin Richardson of the Backstreet Boys, and more.

Before joining USA Today SMG, I spent over 15 years in professional radio at several New York stations under the CBS Radio/Audacy umbrella, including a stint as an HD Radio host, digital producer for Nick Cannon, and presently at 1010 WINS as a freelance News Producer. Since 2015 I also work as a Senior Media Operator at Disney Streaming.

As the Founder of Keeping It Real Sports LLC, I continue to produce content independently. The flagship show ‘Sports Social with Ed Easton Jr,’ is an award-winning nationally syndicated podcast. My credits and features include CBS News, MSG Networks, FOX Sports, NBC Sports, Sports Illustrated, FanSided, Bleacher Report, and Yahoo! Sports. I received a double bachelor of arts degree in Media Communications and American Studies from SUNY College At Old Westbury, serving as the first Program Director in the school radio station’s history (OWWR – Old Westbury Web Radio), graduating with honors. A member of the National Association of Black Journalists and a member of Pro Football Writers of America.

Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
There are always obstacles in the media business to improve and expand roles, so I’ve faced my share of challenges. The toughest part is self-doubt, whether things were moving slowly and not resulting in my favor early in my career. I realized the importance of producing my content independently without waiting for my dream job, and I had to believe in my value before pitching to anyone else. The change in mindset made adjusting to any corporate or professional setting easier.

Please tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others.
In my coverage of the Kansas City Chiefs, I focus on the daily updates and news from the team leading up to that week’s game. The consistent quotes from players, coaches, and team personnel are detailed in articles from our talented Chiefs Wire staff. We handle exclusive interviews and unique breakdowns from every game and practice to keep the many amazing die-hard fans of Kansas City adequately informed.

The Chiefs Kingdom fanbase is the team’s pulse and plays a significant role in our work as we highlight local Kansas City fans making an impact in the community. The discussions on our social media platforms or in the weekly podcast mailbag questions to managing editor and co-host Charles Goldman welcomes fans to be an essential part of the program. The offseason is just as busy, with more input from the community through every transaction and various camp updates, as I will detail with my digital show “The Chiefs Wire Stock Watch with Ed Easton Jr.”

Risk-taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
I grew up as a New York City native, but I’ve loved the feedback and welcome from the Kansas City sports community in embracing the work I’ve done with Chiefs Wire. I had just finished a season covering the WNBA’s New York Liberty in 2019 to focus on the Chiefs; it was a transition made easier by the fans of Chiefs Kingdom. A risk taken was deciding to take a job covering a team outside of my hometown.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://edeastonjr.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/EdEastonJr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EdEastonJr/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/EdEastonJr
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@edeastonjr
• Other: https://chiefswire.usatoday.com/author/edeastonjr/