PNJ Cuts 10 Jobs; Both Publisher And Editor Retire

August 24, 2013

The Pensacola News Journal announced Friday that President and Publisher Kevin T. Doyle and Executive Editor Richard A. Schneider are “retiring”, and the newspaper has cut 10 other positions.

Positions eliminated included those of Managing Editor Ginny Graybriel, a 35-year plus veteran of the paper, and columnist Shannon Nickinson.

Layoffs across the country at  Gannett owned newspapers, including the PNJ, have totaled over 200 jobs, according to an industry website.

Marketing Director Becca Boles will move into the interim editor’s position, and Kim Thomas will move from managing editor for digital to interim editor.

Comments

24 Responses to “PNJ Cuts 10 Jobs; Both Publisher And Editor Retire”

  1. Wilson Robertson on August 27th, 2013 10:06 am

    Molino Jim,
    You fail to mention that every state and local agency cleared me of all charges. Anyone can trump up unfounded charges and you are obligated to defend yourself, one thing for sure I did not ask the tax payers to spend one cent on my defense, even after I was cleared. Also the reporter with PNJ that spent so much investigative time and money was transferred soon after. The public may not know but the county spent almost 150,000.00 on Mrs. Young, White, and Grover in their defense against Gibbs lawsuit. Please state all the facts in the future.

  2. David Huie Green on August 26th, 2013 10:38 am

    REGARDING:
    “There were no “weapons of mass destruction” in the country. Bush for what ever reason got us into it. This was after the CIA told him there were no WOMD. This on going war has cost us many lives and billions of dollars. The USSR went broke because of their being involved before us.”

    Just to keep it straight, the USSR went broke in Afghanistan which we entered because it was harboring the people who masterminded 9/11/01 attacks against Americans.

    Defeating Afghanistan was easy, the problem lay in our decision to occupy the place rather than getting out of Dodge as soon as we had run Osama into Pakistan where our allies would surely quickly scoop him up (which they didn‘t).

    Afghanistan is still costing us lives and IOUs to China because we never wiped out the cause of entering in the first place and don’t have the good sense to walk away. The government wants us there to complain about our presence while depending on us for money and supplies. Meanwhile they try to make buddies of the evil people who drew us there in the first place.

    The place we entered because of the claim of weapons of mass destruction was Iraq and we’re pretty much out of there. So that’s not the cost or place which drove the USSR down. (By the way, it was our support of adversaries which made it so expensive in money and people to occupy Afghanistan. Without us, they would have simply killed all opposition like they usually did.)

    David for viewing the Middle East
    via satellites and history books

  3. molino jim on August 25th, 2013 11:24 am

    @Bob and others. The “down hill” you refer to is incorrect. While I’m not a big fan of Obama, if you’ll look at what this administration inherited we could be a lot worse off. The time line on the dropping of the economy started in early 2007. (Obama was elected in Nov. 2008) Congress had remove many of the controls on banks and they were making loans to people who had no way to pay them back. The stock market dropped over 5000 points and we as a country were in big trouble. Today the market has recovered the 5000 points. The bail outs have been repaid with large amounts of interest. We were very close to a depression. We had been marched off to war by a president who had us invade the wrong country. There were no “weapons of mass destruction” in the country. Bush for what ever reason got us into it. This was after the CIA told him there were no WOMD. This on going war has cost us many lives and billions of dollars. The USSR went broke because of their being involved before us. To bad we did not learn from their mistake. Please don’t use Fox for your only news. If you don’t like the PNJ try the Atlanta paper/the New York Times/Wall Street Journal(it’s not just business news)/Time and News Week(they many time will tell the same story with a difference spin)

  4. LouLou on August 25th, 2013 10:41 am

    It’s the sign of the times. PNJ has been in a free fall for years anyway. Maybe Shannon Nickinson will move further south and find work we can only hope.

  5. M on August 25th, 2013 8:40 am

    Saying the PNJ isn’t liberal because it endorsed Mitt Romney isn’t a very true statement because Mitt Romney isn’t a conservative by any stretch of the imagination. Romney was picked by the liberal media, and the Republicans in name only” RINO’s” to be the candidate least likely to upset their apple cart in Washington. All one has to do is remember that Obama Care was modeled after Mitt’s own state law to see what his true colors are, and also to see what the PNJ and Gannett’s agenda is, I for one don’t mourn the dying gasps the PNJ is now taking. Good riddance when they are finally put to rest.

  6. niknak50 on August 25th, 2013 8:15 am

    Whether the PNJ is liberal or not is not the issue. What’s happening to newspapers across the nation is a result of newspapers being dinosaurs, a thing of the past. ( If you’ve been keeping up with what’s going on in this industry for the last few years, )
    Why would todays generation want to buy and read a newspaper, when with a click of a button or a tap on their ipod, they can then read all the news they want to. For example, I can look a Drudge Report right now, and see everything that’s taking place worldwide….. for free. Any questions?

  7. Bob hudson on August 25th, 2013 8:03 am

    Of course they had to endorse Mitt, I mean as bad as they are, and as bad as Obama is, only an Idiot would endorse Obama, and his reelection has been no surpise, its been down hill ever since.

  8. Not as liberal as you might think on August 24th, 2013 11:24 pm

    I’m not surprised to see comments alluding to allegations that the PNJ is a liberal newspaper. Did you all forget that PNJ endorsed Mitt Romney for president? Or did that slip your mind?
    For all the talk that the PNJ has a liberal agenda, perhaps it’s time to reflect on the fact that the PNJ isn’t as liberal as one might think, particularly when they endorse a Republican for president of the United States.

  9. Chris on August 24th, 2013 9:46 pm

    The web was to create jobs. In this case it cut jobs. What one person can do with a computer with spell checker and a good connection use to take multiple people. A printer, A delivery person, A Car, A Editor and someone to answer the phone while they were busy. Hope those ten people can find a job in this tough economy.

  10. freedom on August 24th, 2013 9:25 pm

    cannot say im exactly heartbroken over the news that they are hurting enough to start cutting jobs………been coming for long time. this publication has been corrupt and biased for so long now that it is incalculable how much damage they have done to this republic by printing the diatribe they have been slinging from the corporate publisher that is controlled by left wing corporations purposely printed and sent to the people with specific agendas,…..I know it is bad for the local workers that got laid off but perhaps they can see the upside of this , that the economy is good and jobs are plentiful,……after all is this not what the news journal has been trying to sell us for the last few years now???

  11. molino jim on August 24th, 2013 8:34 pm

    @Wilson R.– you don’t care for the PNJ because they blew the whistle on you on the Forest Gibbs deal. Does anyone know if the code enforcement officer that cited Gibbs for the violation that was on Wilson’s property still has his job? It like Good Old George in his negotiations with the S.O. who made the statement that the S.O. was being unethical by not giving the county some money that covers payments for leave time for LEO’s when they retire. I find it hard to believe George could bring ethics into a conversation. Does anyone know if the county was repaid the money spent by Georges son for drinks and lap dances on Georges COUNTY CREDIT CARD?

  12. Sherry on August 24th, 2013 7:47 pm

    Ended my subscription to PNJ when my mother passed away and they charged an outrageous amount to publish her small obituary. Decided they would never again get another dime of my money. I was only buying it for the ads – now I get them on line for free!

  13. Jacqueline on August 24th, 2013 7:04 pm

    Commissioner Robertson,
    I see that you were endorsed by the PNJ from your web site:
    http://www.wilsonrobertson.com/

    So how liberal can they be? ;)

    I have not always agreed with every thing that they printed but I have appreciated the stories that have followed our local governmental issues. They don’t always get the story right, I agree. But at least it starts the discussion.

  14. surprized on August 24th, 2013 6:50 pm

    Surprised pnu reported the 89 yr vet murdered…

    Not surprised at all that this news source is dying on the vine, so to say…

    Gannett is a liberal news source…so, therefore we get what they want us to read/see…

    I say good bye to a bad product.

  15. Wilson Robertson on August 24th, 2013 5:35 pm

    I agree with every thing that’s been said by all your readers. The PNJ is so liberal and biased, under the poor leadership they have had for the past few years, I’m surprised they are still in business. PNJ was the biggest supporter of bringing our county under the governance of the city of Pensacola. We would be paying almost 50 present more property taxes in the county, if it had passed. They were very upset with Senator Evers and myself for standing against this consolidation. North Escambia is the only reliable news in our area, including the weekly IN paper, Good job William.

  16. fred on August 24th, 2013 1:48 pm

    P, would you then be in favor of incorporation of northern Escambia in the city limits? This would make you part of the city and consolidate government services.

  17. P on August 24th, 2013 11:46 am

    We don’t get the PNJ, and haven’t in years. Guess it’s because we’re rural, and when we did try to get the paper, it usually was only 2 to 3 times a week, the other days we were just missed. Not a good paper route carrier! So, no we aren’t going to miss the PNJ. I can remember 50 years ago, the paper was about at it’s best – BUT, something happened along the way. We then ended up with what’s today. I depend on Northescambia.com and Channel 5 for my news of Escambia County. Seems as though Pensacola is only for Pensacola, they only recognize Escambia County when they want more money. I think we need a whole new government system. one that know the north end of the county is just as important as the rest of the county. We have a new county commissioner for our end, praise the Lord, and I just pray that he’ll stick up for us!! and what is good for our neighborhoods!!

  18. Bob hudson on August 24th, 2013 10:56 am

    Well good , seems they never learned what good reporting was any way. They always push consolidation, and any thing that was only good for the city. They can not go away fast enough.

  19. molino jim on August 24th, 2013 9:03 am

    Once upon a time Pensacola had a good newspaper and reporters who could “dig up” the stories that some of the old families and power brokers did not want to see the light of day. That was then–this is now. People of power arrested– but the names never appear in print. Deals made for the benefit of a select few. When the public would find out about the deals the power brokers would run like roaches. This now leaves us with two news outlets of value. NorthEscambia and small free paper, The Independent News (IN) from downtown. @Jane- hope you’re not talking about Ch. 3 or Fox for your news.

  20. Robert S. on August 24th, 2013 8:59 am

    Good comments on PNJ.
    I remember when the paper came in the morning AND again in the afternoon to catch us citizens up on what was going on in PENSACOLA and Escambia Co.
    Now, it has only a few local articles, who shot whom, a bit of good news here and there but mostly ads take up the page spaces.
    Paper now printed in Mobile, wonder how many local jobs were lost in that move?
    Hear the Studer folks have bought the property PNJ had up for sale.
    Hopefully, the property will remain on the tax rolls.
    Sad when citizens lose a written record of things that happen.
    Like you, see the end of the printed page coming quickly.

  21. M on August 24th, 2013 8:07 am

    Maybe before the PNJ has to print it’s final issue, somebody high up in the Gannett organization will realize that I, and many more people will continue to refuse to pay for a mullet wrapper that attacks our very way of american life with it’s liberal editorial policies. If only the advertisers that still support them would go elsewhere for their advertising, we could have funeral services for a once fine news paper.

  22. Lance Brown on August 24th, 2013 6:59 am

    The PNJ has had the same Politifact section for several days now. There has been no real reporting for as long as I remember. In my opinion; it has become nothing more than an opinion piece. It seems to have lost the trust of anyone newsworthy in the area and blames them for refusing to interact. I hate to see anyone lose their job but this has been coming for a long time. Readership has declined and it doesn’t even seem as if they care. You would think someone in power at the PNJ would have realized you can’t continuously support a Liberal agenda and it not have some type of impact. For all of their “progressive” efforts, they have taken a once good source of unbiased reporting and turned it into nothing. I for one will not miss their self proclaimed “Queen for a Day” in the least.

  23. wm on August 24th, 2013 5:38 am

    The “mullet wrapper” continues to wither and die — while northescambia.com has become my “go-to” source for local news. Continue the great work!

  24. Jane on August 24th, 2013 4:54 am

    We get our news from TV, the internet and fewer people are reading newspapers these days. Just the way it is. PNJ only reports what goes on in P’cola anyway.