23/02/2023
We've learned the identity of the reporter who was shot and killed while covering a homicide Wednesday near Orlando.
Dylan Lyons went to work Wednesday, doing what we all do every day, covering the news, and he didn't make it home. His photographer was also shot and is in critical condition.
Lyons was just 24-years-old, a graduate of UCF and a native of Philly. He was on the path many of us take in TV news, working your way up through TV markets across the country.
TV news is a really small business. There are not that many jobs. And many of us know each other. The pain, shock and fear running through newsrooms in Orlando and across the country right now is real.
My heart goes out to Dylan's family and his colleagues. I'm also thinking about the other two people murdered as well, including a 9-year-old girl.
I will tell you that there have been days when I've woken up in the morning and asked myself, is it worth it?
The days you're threatened and yelled at. The 2:30 a.m. alarm on Christmas morning. (We don't automatically get holidays off).
The stories we cover can also take a toll. I'll never forget the first time seeing a body bag, or the countless interviews with relatives of people who were murdered. Those memories are haunting.
But yes, doing this job is worth it. We shine a light into darkness. We hold the powerful to account. And I hope that my reporting over the years has given viewers a better sense of the world around them. But days like today test that purpose.
Reporters don't get into this business for the money, or the great hours. We get into this business because we have a passion for journalism. Dylan no doubt died doing what he loved.
You can find more of our coverage here: https://7ny.tv/41kkFTi