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PNJ Columnist Mark O’Brien Part Of Gannett Layoffs
June 22, 2011
Popular longtime Pensacola News Journal columnist Mark O’Brien was laid off Tuesday.
About 700 employees were laid off nationwide Tuesday by Gannett Co., the parent company of the PNJ. The Pensacola News Journal reported Wednesday morning that five of their staffers lost their jobs Tuesday.
O’Brien, who once wrote in his column “for news north of Nine Mile Road, www.northescambia.com is must-reading”, had been at the PNJ for about 20 years.
“Don’t weep for me, Pensacola. I just took a dip in the swimming pool and now am open to a new career,” O’Brien wrote Tuesday afternoon on his Facebook page. “Any ideas? markobrien5001@gmail.com”
Comments
23 Responses to “PNJ Columnist Mark O’Brien Part Of Gannett Layoffs”
Thanks for a lot of o’pinions and laughs. Good reading. The only thing I really enjoy in the PNJ. Such a shame to let you go. Good Luck Mark. I hope you find a wonderful job with folks that appreciate you.
I will certainly miss Mark’s column, ” Opinion”. Did not always agree with him, however many times he right on target. I agree that Dogan, and Moon would have been better choices for the “boot” from Gannett, and PNJ. I would like to know how much input PNJ had as who should get the boot.
Hey,
Thank you for all the nice comments about me leaving the PNJ. I had a great 23 years there and got to meet so many wonderful folks all across Escambia County.
I appreciate the kindness, one reason why I’m glad I moved here 33 years ago.
I’m going to chill out for a little while and then decide what’s next. Whatever it is, it will be right here in Pensacola. You can’t get rid of me that easy!
Sincerely,
Mark O’Brien
@tallywho…your definition of liberal made me laugh…does that mean all those people questioning Obama’s birth certificate as fake….were liberal??
Mark O’Brien’s column and journalism were the best things about the PNJ. I am distressed about his being cut.
cantonment cow girl said “the IN Weekly paper, PNJ’s only competition”
Really? northescambia.com sure gives them a run for their money sometimes. I bet NE gets as many readers online as the PNJ
Mark was let go because of Gannetts need to keep showing profits to the shareholders. No other reson. Gannett is simply getting rid of anything they think makes no money for their company.
Mark is old enough to (or close to it) to retire. He’s one of the lucky ones. Others who lost their jobs are young and will be looking for work in a dying industry.
As for the race card, anyone with an education knows Dogan is good at what he does. I don’t always agree with him but I always read his column.
As for getting rid of Moon, he is Pensacola’s writer. Voted the best by even the IN Weekly paper, PNJ’s only competition. He doesn’t write on just his opinion, his stories are of Pensacola people.
Will miss Mark O’Brian’s column. When the PNJ changed the online format a year or so ago, I found it not as user friendly…still enjoy the print copy. Wish Mark the best….maybe he should do a column for northesc.com!
I agree with your obsevations Molino Jim, I thought I was the only one that noticed.
GOOD BY MARK YOU WERE ONE FUNNY YANKIE HEHEHE GOOD LUCK!!!
This is re-diculous. I have followed Mark O’brien for years, including missing him while he was with Bullock. Yes I did business while he was at Bullock.
Now I fear to find out if
Reginald was fired too. My wife and I like to read what is left of the newspaper.
Why Mark?
Does anyone at PNJ have control over our local paper?
Think Rationally: If you are HR’s have you run into young people with “degrees” who only read at a Jr. High level? I did while I was still working, I guess we were getting all of the culls. I guess that the reason so many banks and companies put a young person of color near the doorway so they are the first thing seen is just an accident . I know it’s a mistake on my part to feel most ad’s on TV are showing people of color as being the “smart one” in the group. Now the ad’s are starting to show mixed couples. I know there have been mistakes in the pass—but not that many. One last thing-was Mark nearing retirement and was dumped? I already know that you and I will not agree on this matter so have a good day.
Kathy, is a liberal some one whom you show the information to about one sided veiws, back it up with proof and they still do not beleave it. Are the ones whom report things without any proof knowing they do not have to tell the truth. Lord it worries me i do not know some one with liberal veiws.
Hey molino jim, maybe O’brien needs to come over to Escambia County, AL. They love hiring the old white guy, any white guy or gal, for that much. I see many are saying get rid of Dogan, instead of O’brien. Why? Why play the race card, comments like “get rid of the old white guy”, ” why not cut liberal reporter, Dogan”..more comments against Dogan than Moon. I’m surprised they didn’t layoff Dogan, these parts are so prejudicial in hiring and firing for that matter, both Escambia AL and FL. (Pensacola, Pace, Milton, Brewton, Flomaton)
There are more unemployed African American’s with Bachelor’s and Master’s in these counties than you really know. I have personal knowledge of quite a few as applicants, as I work in Job Placement and HR. We all have our own opinion, whether or not it happens to be right or wrong.
Perhaps it was just O’Brien’s time to go. Kathy, I am sure politics had nothing to do with it. The company had to do what was best for them in this economic period of which we are living in. Perhaps their bottom line was affected. Less people are reading the newspapers, we have a generation of people who go online to read the news. Just pray and hope that these affected can find employment more sooner than later.
The other part of this is that there will be a number of people in local government who will not have to be looking over their shoulder to see if they’ll get caught with their hand in the cookie jar.The “IN” newspaper covers P’cola better anyway. Now if you want to read about “news” from all over the U.S. stay with the SnoozeJournal. I have no way of knowing who decided who was fired and who was not—I guess just doing away with the old white guy was the easy way to go.
The PNJ canned Mark O’Brien but kept Reginald Dogan? That really is a sinking ship…
Of course they get rid of the one person who can write from both sides and be fair to all. Best wishes and God speed, Mark – hopefully you can get on with a real news joint (how about northescambia.com?
)
Amen! Bwayne, its a regular blitzer krieg out there.
You folks wouldn’t know a liberal if you tripped over em. None of the above so called liberals are really liberals they are moderates. Scares the death out of me to think
what would happen if you actually met a liberal. Mark did a good job and a lot of his comments were tongue in cheek but I guess conservatives don’t get humor.
They will not cut the liberal reporters, like Dogan and Troy. Like you say they can make up stuff and put it out there with out any proof. PNJ is headed in the right direction just like the funding for PBS.
Newspapers need to report the news, not someone’s opinion of the news……columnists and Opinion writers just have a free pass to hold hostage the reading public and put their “one man opinion” before the masses.
Reggie Dogan and Troy Moon would have been a better choice to get the boot.
It’s a sad day for the Pensacola area. Mark had the contacts and information that P’cola needs and wants to know. I’m sorry to see this happen and while I know sales for the SNOOZEJOURNAL are down I still have to feel it was a mistake. It’s interesting that the older reporter was cut loose, I guess P.C. has shown it head again.