Experience Summary
MAYNARD EATON
BIOGRAPHY NARRATIVE
Maynard Eaton is an award-winning journalist and media communications professional with a career spanning more than three decades. He is known for his work as a broadcast journalist, political columnist, media/public relations consultant, freelance writer/ editor and journalism professor. On and off camera, Eaton has parlayed his experience as a pioneering 8-time EMMY Award winning television news reporter into one of Atlanta’s most influential multimedia communications professionals.
Since January of 2011, Eaton has taken on the position of National Communications Director and chief spokesman for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference [SCLC]. He serves as Press Secretary and Media Relations consultant for Rev. Dr. C. T. Vivian, the President of SCLC.
He also helms Eaton Media Group, a PR consulting firm specializing in writing, film and video production, and communications. Recently, he accepted the position of Executive Editor for S.E. Region News, an emerging media outlet for the Southeast region of the nation.
Eaton was the Press Secretary for 2009 Atlanta Mayoral candidate Jesse Spikes and Deputy Press Secretary for former Georgia Lt. Governor Mark Taylor, the 2006 Democratic gubernatorial nominee. He served as the senior partner, co-founder and editor-in-chief of The Newsmaker Journal, a weekly online magazine/newsletter with a readership of more than 40,000. In addition, Eaton was responsible for hosting its companion infotainment broadcast, the preeminent live-to-web cast political talk show, “Newsmakers Live,” a first-of- its-kind journalism production where prominent political and business figures are expertly interviewed.
404-254-8322(cell) 404-522-1420x165(office) email: eaton.maynard@gmail.com
Other Notable Positions
Eaton was also a founding member and contributing political writer for the Georgia Online News Service [GONSO] and a journalism professor at Clark-Atlanta University.
In 2008 Eaton served as press secretary for Republican Congressional candidate Dr. Deborah Honeycutt and worked as a media consultant/writer for then- Atlanta Mayoral Candidate Kasim Reed.
From 1991 to-date, Eaton has been a political columnist for The Atlanta Voice, Atlanta’s premiere, African-American weekly newspaper. His award-winning column, Politics 411, is provocative and informative with a readership of more than 50,000. He is also a contributing writer for The Sunday Paper, a popular weekly alternative publication, and has been a media consultant to Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin and Macon’s Mayor C. Jack Ellis.
Eaton regularly appeared as a political analyst on the Bill Campbell Morning Show which aired on WAOK-AM in Atlanta. He was a regular panelist on Atlanta This Week, a weekly TV news talk show, featuring prominent Georgia journalists.
During the 1999 and 2000 political seasons, Eaton served as a writer and media consultant for Republican presidential aspirant, Steve Forbes. During that time, he was one of three Atlanta journalists selected as a panelist for the televised 1998, Georgia Governor’s race debate; and the 1997 and 2001 Atlanta Mayor’s debate. He also served as an Associate Professor of Broadcast and Print Journalism in the Communications Department of Clark Atlanta University.
From 1990 to 1993, Eaton served as the Southeast Bureau Chief and political correspondent for Black Entertainment Television [BET]. He was a founding member of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), and former president of the Atlanta Association of Black Journalists (AABJ).
In 1988, the Georgia Democratic Party selected Eaton to write and produce their video presentation welcoming all the Democrat delegates to the Atlanta Convention.
From 1986 to 1991, Eaton operated as managing editor for The Atlanta Tribune, a premier African-American monthly, business magazine. During this tenure, The Tribune’s readership and advertising revenue doubled. Following that he was the managing editor of World African Network [WAN], the nation’s first African-American owned Internet news service where he directed a 12-member news team until 1998.
404-254-8322(cell) 404-522-1420x165(office) email: eaton.maynard@gmail.com
Awards and Honors
Eaton has garnered numerous awards and accolades during his illustrious career. Most recently, he was named 2008 Journalist of the Year by the Rainbow/PUSH civil rights group. From 1978 to 1986, Eaton was a multi-award winning political reporter for WXIA-TV in Atlanta. He won eight EMMY Awards for television news reporting/writing, while at WXIA, WPLG-TV in Miami and WVEC-TV in Norfolk. He has also been honored for his work as a political commentator for WTLK-TV and WATL-TV in Atlanta; a producer/reporter for World News Monitor; southeast field producer for USA Today television; and writer/talent for Ebony Journal and Prime Time, two highly regarded and locally produced television magazine shows.
In addition to honors in broadcasting, Eaton won two Atlanta Association of Black Journalist awards for his excellence in writing and reporting, including the Journalist of the Year award in 1985 from the Atlanta Association of Black Journalists [AABJ] and several significant honors from the National Association of Black Journalists [NAABJ]. He has received honors from Communication Excellence to Black Audiences [CEBA], and three writing awards from the Associated Press. He landed a 2nd place honor with the National Newspaper Publishers Award (NNPA) in 2007; a coveted Gannett News Service reporting award and, for ten consecutive years, has been named on the list of prestigious individuals with Who’s Who in Black Atlanta. Eaton has also written cover stories for that prestigious publication on Ambassador Andrew Young, civil rights icon Rev. Joseph Lowery and Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin.
Eaton received his Master of Arts degree from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, where he was mentored by the late Fred Friendly (former president of CBS News), and holds a BA degree in Mass Media Arts from Hampton University.
404-254-8322(cell) 404-522-1420x165(office) email: eaton.maynard@gmail.com
Teaching Style
I am a strong, demanding coach armed with a personable style that produces results and great news writing and reporting.