Biography
Anchor of 7 NEWS at 5, 6, 10 and 11PM
With Co-Anchor Belkys Nerey
NATAS Silver Circle recipient and Emmy Award winner Craig Stevens co-anchors 7NEWS at 5, 6, 10, and 11pm weeknights with Belkys Nerey. He has been in television news for more than 30-years, the bulk of that time spent in South Florida.
At 7NEWS, Stevens has reported a wide range of stories: several hurricanes beginning with “Andrew,” the Oklahoma City bombing, elections from the local level to national races, including the disputed 2000 Presidential Election from Austin, Texas. He spent weeks following the murder of fashion designer Gianni Versace and the manhunt for Andrew Cunanan, Pope John Paul II’s visits to Cuba and the United States, the death of JFK, Jr., the Elian Gonzalez saga, and Fidel Castro’s visit to the United Nations. In 2015 he reported from Cuba the flag-raising at the U-S Embassy in Havana and the visit of Pope Francis.
Craig has also anchored 7NEWS coverage of such major events as Jean-Bertrand Aristide’s return to Haiti, the crash of “Valujet” flight 592, the deadly shootdown of two “Brothers to the Rescue” planes, the September 11th attacks, the launch of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, Castro’s transfer of power to his brother, President Obama’s 2016 state visit to Havana. He anchored several consecutive hours of coverage of Castro’s death and in 2018 the deadly mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. Recently, he played a key role anchoring the far reaching impact in South Florida of the coronavirus pandemic. During the 2020 election season, Craig brought South Florida viewers interviews with President Trump, Former Vice-President Joe Biden, and Senator Kamala Harris. In November 2020, for the fifth time, Craig and Belkys anchored our presidential election night broadcast, leading the WSVN newsteam for several hours of local coverage.
In 2021 — to commemorate the 65th anniversary of Channel 7, Stevens executive produced and co-wrote a documentary to mark the occasion. In addition to WSVN.COM, it is also featured at the Lynn and Louis Wolfson II Florida Moving Image Archives.
Stevens began his career in 1987 in the mailroom at NBC NEWS in Washington. By election night 1988, while still a sophomore in college, he was working full-time in the NBC newsroom as an assignment desk assistant. Eventually, he worked on such programs as “NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw,” “Today,” and “Meet the Press” as a production assistant.
Beginning in 1990, he spent two years as a reporter and substitute anchor at WBBH-TV, the NBC affiliate in Fort Myers, before joining WSVN in 1992. Stevens left us for a brief stint in 1997, to anchor weekend news at our Boston sister-station, NBC affiliate WHDH, though during that time, much of his work there, was featured here. He returned to WSVN in 1999, anchored weekends and the 5:30 and 6:30 newscasts, before assuming his current duties in May 2001.
Craig is active in a number of charities and organizations. He is an officer with the Suncoast Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences where he also chairs a committee that mentors young TV professionals throughout the southeastern United States. He also serves as a National Trustee with the organization. In 2003, he served as grand marshal at the Wilton Manors Stonewall Street Festival and Parade. For several years, he hosted the annual AIDS Walk Miami, which raises funds to promote HIV awareness, prevention, testing, and treatment in the South Florida community.
Stevens spends a good deal of time working with future broadcast journalists. For several years he served on the adjunct faculty at both the University of Miami and Barry University.
He has received several honors for his work and contributions to the community. He is the recipient of eight Suncoast regional Emmy Awards from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS). The statues were awarded to our team for superior work covering Hurricane Dorian’s impact in the Bahamas, Hurricane Irma, Fidel Castro’s death, the deadly shooting at the Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport, a dangerous chase on a South Florida highway, a tornado in Broward County, and most recently for coverage of the Surfside condominium collapse.
The Suncoast Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in 2014 also awarded Craig the prestigious “Silver Circle” award, for his years of devoted service to the television industry in the Sunshine State. In 2019, 2020, and 2021 readers of the South Florida Gay News named him “Best Local TV Personality.” In 2009, he was among those named by the University of Miami as a “Communicator of the Year.” In September 2005, “Florida Monthly” magazine named Craig “Best Local TV News Anchor”. The Broward/Palm Beach “New Times” awarded Stevens with the same distinction in 2003. The city of Miami Beach awarded him a key to the city in 2006, recognizing his charitable efforts.
In 2016, Stevens launched WSVN’s effort to improve relations between law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve. He hosted the “Hope and Healing” town hall meeting featuring members of Congress, state and local leaders, and members of the law enforcement community.
He is a native of Falmouth, Massachusetts on Cape Cod, and, in 1990, graduated The American University in Washington, D.C. with a major in Communication/Print Journalism and a minor in History.
Craig lives in Greater Miami with his black lab Parker.