Bio - Frank Bentayou

Frank Bentayou began his media career at The Tampa Tribune in 1970 while attending graduate school in literature at the University of South Florida. In his 10 years at the paper, he covered the justice system, economic development and the state legislature and spent four years as a reporter and columnist focused on science, medicine and health, winning local, state and national journalism awards. In 1980, he became founding editor of Tampa Magazine, a regional monthly that, over three years of publication, won 25 Florida Magazine Association awards, including best large-circulation periodical in the state. He worked another five years as, first, managing editor then editor of Cleveland Magazine, in Ohio’s largest market. Bentayou left to take an administrative position in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, Kent State University. His responsibilities included directing student media and teaching journalism courses. Bentayou earned an M.A. in journalism during his years at KSU. He also freelanced more than 200 articles for regional and national magazines and newspapers. He left KSU in 1989 to plan and launch a regional magazine, Inside Business, for Great Lakes Publishing Co., before accepting a position as an editor and then reporter and columnist at The Plain Dealer in Cleveland. He covered housing, then religion and ethics and, finally, regional manufacturing. The Newhouse Religion Wire Service syndicated Bentayou’s ethics and religion columns. He retired in March 2010.