A Newton in Newton County. Sounds pretty cool, right?

My name is Evan Newton, and it’s an honor and privilege to be the next News Editor for The Covington News.

I’m originally from just down the road in Monticello, where I was born and raised my whole life.

With not a lot to do in a small town, I would find myself coming home from school and watching sports shows, where panelists and radio hosts would give their analysis and scorching hot (or freezing cold) takes on things. 

I always thought:  “Well, I could do that!” While I always would give my hot takes and analysis to family members for minutes and hours or end (much to my family’s annoyance), I never seriously pursued it as a career, rather focusing on film instead.

After graduating from Jasper County High School in 2019, I moved 45 minutes down the road the other way to Milledgeville where I attended Georgia College & State University. I received my degree in mass communications with a focus in digital media production in May of this year. 

During my time in college, I worked on a number of film sets as a production assistant all the way up to director/editor. Working in film allowed me to gain the skills I needed to become a complete storyteller. 

But after working and pursuing film for many years, I felt creatively out of focus and out of touch. I knew there was something else I was meant to do. 

With no immediate direction outside of college, I spoke with my father about possible career ideas. My father was one of the many unfortunate souls that have had to listen to my analysis and hot takes over the years, but he also saw a talent that came out of it. He suggested that I should try working for the local newspaper, The Monticello News and see if that would be a good fit.

The next Monday after graduating college, I went to work immediately. I joined The Monticello News as their digital media intern. 

My main task was to revitalize and grow the digital presence of the newspaper, which was next to none at the time. The website went from a dull, unusable website to one that has vibrance and is a serviceable addition to the weekly newspaper.  

I was also asked to do some occasional reporting and writing, which included a wide range of topics. Finally, somewhere, where people could view my work and ideas.

What was meant to be just one to two stories a week quickly turned into multiple, so much so to where one edition of the paper had four of my stories on the front page. That was a shining moment in my young career. 

I also got to cover big events such as the largest recall case of a county commissioner ever in Jasper County and the resignation of a different county commissioner later that month. 

Through my summer of interning, I realized that I had a passion for reporting the news and keeping the public properly informed.

Following the end of my internship in July, I was asked to stay on the team and join officially as a writer/reporter in addition to maintaining my digital media duties. 

From there I continued to cover city and county events throughout Monticello and Jasper County while also growing both the website and Facebook page to new heights. 

I also spearheaded the weekly football contest and the upcoming city council election for the city of Monticello up until my departure.

Now, I come here with the knowledge I’ve gathered to deliver a fresh outlook on the news of all things Covington and Newton County. I’m so honored to be working with a team that is dedicated to delivering accurate and compelling stories. I’m also excited to be serving an area that I grew up visiting quite frequently. I can’t wait to learn more about all the things that make Newton County unique.

Outside of my career, I enjoy watching sports, particularly football, basketball and NASCAR. I’m also a huge fan of professional wrestling and often go to events whenever and wherever I can find them. I also enjoy working out, filmmaking, listening to good music and spending time with family and friends.

If anyone has a news tip or any general questions for me, feel free to reach out. My email is enewton@covnews.com.

Evan Newton is the news editor for The Covington News. He can be reached at enewton@covnews.com.