WBBJ team says goodbye to reporter/anchor Garrett Evans
After two years of helping bring the latest news to the West Tennessee community, reporter/anchor Garrett Evans is “signing off.” But first, we had a few parting questions for Garrett as he prepares for his next steps.
What’s your experience been like reporting in West Tennessee?
It has been a very interesting two years at WBBJ 7 Eyewitness News. Being from Jackson, I always felt as if I was serving my community; the people that I grew up with, who are like me. I was able to meet so many brilliant and amazing people that I feel I would have never connected with without being in the position of a reporter. It was nice to build those relationships and meet so many great people along the way.
Do you have a favorite memory or moment from covering stories?
Every day was a very different experience than the last. That’s one of the many things I loved so much about the job. There were many memorable moments along the way; just like every job there’s some good, some bad. There were times I would go live while freezing in single digit temperatures at TDOT or lugging camera equipment two miles down train tracks in one hundred degree weather. But there were also times where I would get the rush of excitement from breaking news or the joy of recording on the sideline for Football Friday Night. Most of all, my favorite memories involve the people I worked with and the time spent with them. They made the good days even better and the bad ones tolerable. I appreciated every weekend shift with my crew, every night spent laughing in the sports office, or the fun conversations with photographers at live shots.
What have you gained from your time at WBBJ?
Grey hairs, this job is stressful… But I’ve gained a lot more than that, mostly communication skills. Another thing that I’ve gained is confidence. I came into this job literally not knowing a single thing about the business or how it works, so this has been a huge learning experience for me. However, in that learning experience I discovered that I am capable of creating interesting stories, or anchoring live on television, or talking about sports for a twenty minute show. It taught me that when I put my mind to something I can become good at it, even without the knowledge prior to signing on. This job pushed me to be better and the growth in myself is priceless.
What’s next for you?
I will be working as an Assistant Victim/Witness Coordinator and Public Information Officer for 28th Judicial District Attorney Frederick Agee.
What would you say to the viewers who have supported you?
I want them to know I am so appreciative of the love and support I’ve received the past two years. This is a job I never imagined I would do but I’m so glad I did. I tried my best for the people in West Tennessee. They always served as a great motivator. I always wanted to produce the best stories I was capable of because I cared about the quality of my work but also because I felt the viewers deserved it. It always surprised me when people would see me out in public and say “Hey Garrett, I watch you on the news.” Sometimes when you’re in studio talking to a camera, it’s hard to imagine that there’s actually people watching on the other side but every time it always made me feel so grateful that someone cared enough to come say hey to me. It’s been a fun and very interesting two years, but I will never forget this time in my life and the love I received from all of you. Thank you for watching, thank you for caring, and thank you for being kind.
Garrett, on behalf of the WBBJ team, you will be missed greatly!
You can catch Garrett’s last time on-air at 10 p.m. Monday night, September 9, on WBBJ 7.
