N&O names Eanes its innovation and tech reporter`

Jane Elizabeth, the managing editor of The (Raleigh) News & Observer, sent out the following announcement on Tuesday:

We’re happy to announce that the newly created innovation and technology reporter position, supported through a grant from Innovate Raleigh, will be filled by Zachery Eanes.

Zach has been a real estate and business reporter at The News & Observer and The Herald-Sun since 2016. He holds a B.A. in business journalism from UNC, and interned at the Washington (D.C.) Business Journal and the Greater Wilmington (N.C.) Business Journal.

Zach was part of a team that won a McClatchy President’s Award for Journalism Excellence this year, for work on a yearlong project on gentrification and neighborhood change in Durham.

The grant from Innovate Raleigh and a coalition of local partners provides funding for Zach’s new beat, which focuses on the people, companies, key issues and trends in Raleigh and across the Triangle. Topics will include technology startups and main street businesses, biotechnology, and education issues related to those areas. The News & Observer maintains full control over all assigning, reporting, writing, editing and hiring for the position.

Zach will begin his new role this week, reporting to editor Dave Hendrickson. This leaves an opening for a real estate/business reporter, and that job will be posted this week.

We’re excited to see Zach take his skills and knowledge to this new beat. Please join us in congratulating him!