Jo Mannies, honored for 32-year career at the P-D, will continue to blog right here
My colleague and friend Jo Mannies, Missouri’s best political reporter, has decided to retire from fulltime work at the newspaper.
But — thank God! — she’s not leaving the Post-Dispatch or Political Fix, the state’s leading political blog, which she founded.
Jo will continue to call Political Fix her online home, and she’ll continue to write her signature weekly column for the newspaper each Thursday. Because she will no longer be a full-time P-D employee, Jo expects to write on a range of topics in other places, too. She might even author a book or two. And you will continue to see her on television and hear her on the radio - in fact, she’ll be on Mark Reardon’s radio talk show over on KMOX today around 3 p.m.
Jo began her Post-Dispatch career in 1976. You can see her in the newsroom that year here:
Jo Mannies and her colleagues in the Post newsroom in 1976
In her time here she was, briefly, the area’s second-ever female sports reporter, and she served in the Washington D.C. bureau. She’s covered politics fulltime from St. Louis since 1990. She has interviewed, among many others, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama and John McCain. And she has personified the very best values in journalism - truth, fairness, diligence and grace. As she said at a gathering in the newsroom yesterday to honor her, “It’s all about the First Amendment.”
Post-Dispatch political editor Christopher Ave, left, and reporter Jake Wagman, right, congratulate Jo Mannies on Tuesday
In an era of “info-tainment” and media uncertainty, I suggest we take a moment to honor someone who has always pursued the truth, who always sought to explore and explain the political process. It’s been great working with you, Jo - and here’s to many more years of it.
Political editor of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. 
Jo Mannies is a class act, a warm-hearted person and a tireless and talented journalist. I know Mrs. Mannies will succeed in whatever the next chapter brings - but I’m glad she will still be associated with Political Fix.
I love the 1976 flashback picture: neckties as wide as surfboards, comb-overs and crackling with polyester, and those birth-control glasses! Could someone please identify the people in this vintage photo?
Jo, thank you for your years of outstanding journalism. All of us in STL owe you a big debt of gratitude.
Jo… Congratulations!
Hope you got a nice buyout, you are what “golden handshakes” should be all about.
The bleeding continues at the Post…
Jo Mannies is Missour-ee’s best political reporter…
thanks for the great job you’ve done…
it’s been a real pleasure to read your political stories and now your blog…
best of luck and may things continue to work out for you.
squarehead…
give it a break…
can’t a worthy working stiff line Jo enjoy a quick minute of glory without you injecting your nonscense?
show some class, will ya!!!
Coming from you llbean, that means almost nothing
What’s sad, at least for me, is that I have known Jo for most if not all of those 32 years. I have been hanging around Democratic events since 1964 and have met all of the political reporters from Jo to Schlinkman to Wagman and even the great Dana Spitzer, now the Lord of the Labor Trib.
Jo has been great and I am sad to see her disapear from the grind of the local and statewide events. I have watched her chase stories, see the events unfold and read about it in the PD. Always well done and insightful. Good to see she will be on the Fix and have the column.s
Admit it, Jo. The most fun you had was covering the airport expansion starring Schoemehl and the Bridgeton Air Defense. I guess we now know who was right in that one. And as always, have a B.A.D day!
Thanks to all of the comments, pro and con.
We all care about the same things: Politics, truth and the freedom to report both.
By the way, those in the photo included (seated from my left in the pic), then-Suburban editor Bill Tucker, reporters David Fink and Eric Zoeckler.
Seated to my right in the pic (left as you view it) is Becky McReynolds.
Also in the photo in the back row (but there are some I don’t recall) are, from your viewing left: reporters Marjorie Mandel (second from left), Maura Lerner, Martha Shirk (wearing the Steinem shades), Phil Sutin, Harry Levins, Jim Rogal and John McGuire.
In the distance, in the far right of the photo, are then-editors Sally Defty (back of her head) and Jim Millstone.
I’m glad Jo will remain active on this blog. I’ll miss her other more extensive reporting. As many have already noted, she’s a class act.
Congrats Jo and enjoy your retirement. It is well deserved and you will be missed….you are the best!!!
Thanks for not disappearing completely. We political junkies need you and the Fix.
I didn’t get to know Jo as well as I did Steve Kraske, her counterpart at the Kansas City Star. But with those two on the beat, Missouri readers from stateline to stateline were equally well served. It will be a shame to see her leave, but with the state of the newspaper business the way it is, it’s best to leave now. And readers may be the worst for it. Good luck Jo and happy retirement.
You made me sweat….you made me smile….I dreaded your call…I wanted you to call. You were always fair and always thorough. I’m not sure everyone realizes how important you have been to our democracy and therefore our lives. All the best, Claire
Dear Jo,
Checking http://www.johncombest.com as I do every day, no matter where I am in the world (currently in Brussels, Belgium speaking to European election officials about innovations in remote voting), I saw this posting about your retirement. It’s hard to believe you are old enough to retire (yes, that was meant to be flattering).
You’ve been a first-rate reporter and always on top of everything political, much like Jack Flach (remember him?) did with the late Globe-Democrat. I know some politicos may complain, but I always found you to be fair and doing your very best to be objective.
You really blossomed doing this blog for the PD and I always enjoy the give and take of those who comment (the Internet is indeed a wonderful thing!). Glad to hear it will continue.
Paul DeGregorio
PS Can’t wait for the book!