Stacey Sager
Following the 9/11 attacks, Stacey quickly discovered how difficult and personal her job is as a journalist after spending hours with families desperately searching for loved ones killed in the World Trade Center. The sorrow of that week was something she never thought she would see again as a journalist or as a human being, but years later she would discover the pain of the pandemic, telling more of those critical stories of suffering, survival and loss.
Stacey's first on-air job in television was at a small station in Bangor, Maine. She then reported at WNEP-TV in Scranton, Pennsylvania and WJAR-TV in Providence, Rhode Island.
Throughout her career, Stacey has received numerous Emmy nominations, and has won 7 Emmy awards to date: most recently for her coverage of the Brooklyn subway shooting, but also for her coverage of various weather events, such as tropical storm Ida and Hurricane Isaias, as well as winter's harsh weather effects on Long Island. Additionally, she has won an Emmy for her coverage of the 2007 steampipe explosion in midtown Manhattan and for a WABC-TV breast cancer special. She is also a recipient of the prestigious Michael P. Metcalf Media Award from the National Conference of Christians and Jews.
In the spring of 1999, Stacey completed a groundbreaking Eyewitness News special on how she was diagnosed with breast cancer at the young age of 30. It was a unique, first-person account of the tough decision-making process faced by young women in crisis, a story done long before many others in broadcasting would speak publicly about their cancer diagnoses.
Then, in the spring of 2011, Stacey faced yet another cancer diagnosis. Doctors discovered a pre-invasive ovarian cancer in the lining of her fallopian tubes. She was also diagnosed with BRCA1, a genetic mutation that increases the risk of breast and ovarian cancer. Stacey decided once again to take viewers on her journey through surgery and the decisions that followed, urging women at risk to get screened for genetic mutations that cause these cancers. Fully recovered, Stacey made it a mission to inspire women to get out and get screened.
Then, in 2023, Stacey faced her third and most serious cancer diagnosis - another case of breast cancer in residual tissue that was left behind in her bilateral mastectomy a quarter of a century before. While undergoing chemo, Stacey completed a moving documentary on ABC7 New York, "3 Decades, 3 Cancers", in which she shared her decades-long journey with viewers once again, to explain the importance of understanding lifetime cancer risk.
Stacey has been honored with numerous humanitarian awards and was cited for her volunteer work with the American Cancer Society. She also works extensively with organizations such as T.E.A.L. Walk/Run and the Basser Center, which are dedicated to helping women with ovarian cancer and BRCA-related cancers. Stacey has co-hosted Channel 7's annual Emmy Award-winning breast cancer specials, worked with Pink Aid to raise money for women struggling through breast cancer, and is an avid promoter and participant in the American Cancer Society's annual "Making Strides Against Breast Cancer" walk, which raises millions of dollars for breast cancer awareness and research. It is an issue that will always be near and dear to her heart, as are the many stories she covers on women's issues in general.
A New York native, Stacey has lived and studied in Boston, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. Born in Flushing, Queens, she grew up primarily in Dix Hills, Long Island. She attended Tufts University, majoring in political science and later earned a master's degree in broadcast journalism from the Medill School at Northwestern University. Stacey lives in Nassau County with her husband and two daughters. She also loves running and hiking. Her hobby of home gardening is also a source of immense pride, strength, and joy.
Stacey's Stories
3 Decades, 3 Cancers: Reporter Stacey Sager's story of perseverance, sacrifice and survival
This is a first-hand account from our Stacey Sager, who shares her story of perseverance, sacrifice, and survival as she overcame three separate cancers during three separate decades of her adult life.
'Eyewitness to Gilgo Beach': The horror by the sea -- and the hunt for justice
Go behind the scenes with New York's number one news team as Eyewitness News tells the convoluted and downright creepy story of the search for a serial killer near Gilgo Beach.
'Eyewitness to Gilgo Beach' Chapter 9: Who is Rex Heuermann?
"Rex Heuermann is everything we've been led to believe would be the guy," said Eyewitness News reporter Josh Einiger.
'Eyewitness to Gilgo Beach' Chapter 8: The arrest of Rex Heuermann
"This was an earthquake in Massapequa Park. This was a storm like they had never expected this," recalled Eyewitness News reporter Stacey Sager.
'Eyewitness to Gilgo Beach' Chapter 7: The 911 Calls
On May 9, 2022, Suffolk County Police released a 22-minute 911 phone call from Shannan Gilbert the night she disappeared in 2010.
'Eyewitness to Gilgo Beach' Chapter 6: Enter the FBI
In December 2015, the FBI joined the investigation. Why did that collaboration not happen for so many years?
'Eyewitness to Gilgo Beach' Chapter 5: Finding Shannan Gilbert
Nineteen months after she vanished, Suffolk County Police found the skeletal remains of Shannan Gilbert on Gilgo Beach.
'Eyewitness to Gilgo Beach' Chapter 4: Investigators stumped
Investigators have found 10 bodies and identified five of them, but they are still searching for Shannan Gilbert..
'Eyewitness to Gilgo Beach' Chapter 3: More bodies
"2011 was the most active period of this investigation. That's when it seems like every few months, more remains is being found," recalled Eyewitness News investigative reporter Kristin Thorne
'Eyewitness to Gilgo Beach' Chapter 2: "We could have a serial killer"
How Shannan Gilbert's disappearance in 2010 led to a serial killer investigation on Long Island.