This journalist profile is part of Journalism and COVID-19: The Toll of a Pandemic, PEN America’s project covering the toll of the coronavirus crisis on the journalism industry in the United States. Our hearts go out to the family members and friends of the journalists lost during the pandemic.
Name: Mark Eckert
Age: 61
Died: March 29, 2020
Location: Canfield, OH
Work History:1“Mark S. Eckert” Mahoning Matters, April 14, 2020; Ed Runyan, “Valley remembers those lost to COVID” Tribune Chronicle, April 2, 2020.
- Business Executive, Mahoning Matters
- Digital Sales Manager, The Vindicator
- Vice President, Eckert’s Interiors
Selected Remembrances:
“I didn’t know Mark Eckert as long as I would have liked, and I wish I had more time. There are far too few positive male role models — men who are kind, devoted to their family and who build others up — and now, with Mark’s passing, there are even fewer.”
—Justin Dennis, Reporter, Compass Experiment [Twitter]
“I hope we can use this and turn my dad’s death into an aid where we can start listening to data, doctors, starting to listen to science, and not really downplay this but understand that it is serious, serious stuff.”
—Zach Eckert, son of Mark Eckert [WFMJ-TV]
“He was one of the best people I’ve had the privilege of knowing, and I could count on him for anything. We are gutted. Imagining our tiny team without him feels impossible.”
—Jess Hardin, Reporter, Mahoning Matters [Twitter]
“[He] was absolutely integral to us getting a foothold in the local business community because he had great relationships that he leveraged to get us into the conversation. His passing from complications of COVID-19, I think, really gave our team a sense of purpose in how we tell this story. We have seen the virus’ effects in a very personal way and that changes you.”
—Mandy Jenkins, General Manager, Compass Experiment [Editor & Publisher]
“I spent some time during a very numb Sunday to try to sort out my feelings. Mark was as much a friend as he was a colleague and to say we are devastated today fails to adequately convey our grief. And our condolences go out to his family and friends, who we know are suffering.”
—Mark Sweetwood, Editor, Mahoning Matters [Mahoning Matters]