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The Post-Journal is mourning the passing of former reporter Michael Zabrodsky.
Zabrodsky, 61, of Jamestown, passed away peacefully on Thursday, September 10, 2026, at UPMC Hamot, Erie, Pa., after a short illness.
A 1983 graduate of Jamestown High School, Michael also earned a B.S. from the State University of New York at Fredonia and an M.A. from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. Zabrodsky had worked for The Post-Journal in three separate stints starting in the late 1980s. During his time working in the newsroom, he chronicled the rise of the 10,000 Maniacs as the Jamestown band became a nationally known act, interviewed Paul McCartney and other world-renowned entertainers as well as telling the stories of local entertainers and venues. Most recently that included coverage of the Lucille Ball Little Theatre, the Reg Lenna Center for the Arts and comedians who made their way to Jamestown for the annual Lucille Ball Comedy Festival.
Zabrodsky also had a lengthy career helping The Post-Journal cover the region's towns and villages, breaking news, school boards, was involved in creating multimedia coverage and telling the stories of county residents who made news. He also worked as a paginator and copy editor during his tenure with The Post-Journal and helped mentor younger reporters.
"Michael was an important part of The Post-Journal's newsroom over the years," said Mike Bird, Post-Journal publisher. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family."