The Editor-in-Chief of the Stabroek News, David de Caires passed away this morning in Barbados where he had gone for medical evaluation.
De Caires, 70, had suffered a heart attack in August and had been hospitalized in Guyana for several days before being flown to Trinidad. He returned to Guyana and had proceeded to Barbados last week for a further medical assessment.
De Caires was the driving force behind the start of the Stabroek News in October 1986.
The board, management and staff of the newspaper are deeply saddened at his passing and extend their condolences to his family.
Update: Saturday 3:05PM, November 1st, 2008
Press Release
Statement by the Board and Management of Guyana Publications Inc, Publishers of the Stabroek News and the Sunday Stabroek
It is with deep regret that Guyana Publications Inc. announces the passing of its Editor-in-Chief and Chairman, Mr David de Caires.
Mr de Caires, 70, had suffered a heart attack on August 14, 2008 and was subsequently hospitalized in Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago. He returned to Guyana where he had been recuperating and proceeded two weeks ago to Barbados for further medical tests. He passed away this morning in Barbados.
GPI is deeply saddened at his passing. Mr de Caires launched the Stabroek News in 1986 as he saw a pressing need for the opening up of the media to allow a mirror to be held up to society. Together with his wife, the former Managing Director of GPI, Mrs Doreen de Caires, Caribbean media owners – particularly, Mr Ken Gordon of the Trinidad Express – and many friends in Guyana, Mr de Caires ploughed ahead with the start-up of the newspaper in 1986. He was guided by several principles: the need for an open society based on the rule of law, a free market economy and the holding of free and fair elections.
Not formally trained as a newspaper man Mr de Caires would often say how he wished he had been a journalist all of his life instead of being trained as a solicitor.
He was deeply passionate about journalism and driven by the purest objectives of the profession: to present the news accurately and stripped of sensation and commentary, to make certain that all sides of the story were told and to always ensure balance.
Mr de Caires would often quote to reporters the legendary C.P. Scott dictum `Comment is free, facts are sacred’. His work ethic was also extraordinary and he would never tire of admonishing reporters about the need for perseverance in the pursuit of stories the way Woodward and Bernstein did in the Watergate Scandal.
One of his lasting legacies to openness is the manner in which he enabled Guyanese society to begin speaking again in the years of undemocratic rule. He pioneered the well-read letter pages of the Stabroek News which in their heyday grew to three pages every day. Therein, citizens from all walks of life were able to express their views, highlight their grievances and call for action. He was proudest of this development and devoted much of his time to editing letters.
He was also an impassioned champion of press freedom and spoke out widely in the Caribbean and further afield wherever infringements were evident. It was right here in Guyana that he faced down the assault on press freedom in November 2006 when the government withdrew state advertising from the Stabroek News. Mr de Caires spearheaded the campaign for the return of the advertising and had been deeply aggrieved that a democratic state which had signed the Declaration of Chapultepec on press freedom could so violate it.
His role as Chairman and Editor-in-Chief aside, Mr de Caires will be remembered by all those who worked with him as a kind and compassionate employer. He was always solicitous of the concerns of his employee and generous in his words of comfort.
He will be deeply missed by the profession, the newspaper and his employee and friends.
On behalf of the board and management, GPI extends its deepest condolences to the family of Mr de Caires.
My condolences to the family! The loss of this titan is a severe blow to the journalist fraternity. He has shaped Stabroek News into a formidable and enviable source of news in Guyana and will be missed. It is a sad day for Guyana.
A great loss indeed.
My condolences to his entire family, including those at SN.
Condolences to the family of David de Caires, Editor-in-Chief of the Stabroek News; also, to the Staff at Stabroek News – Keep the flag flying high.
OOOO, So sad. This man’s work should be a sterling example for those who wishes to follow in his footsteps. R.I.P.
………sandhurst !!………i can remember when you had to hide and read stabroek news…..
We pass this way but once.
What we do, let us do it right and well.
David de Caires was one of the few who did it right and well.
He will rest in peace.
No one can predict that time when out final bell will ring but sometmes we can tell when it might especially when we reach a certain age group. Life is the greatest mystery that we can never solve thats why we must appreciate every moment we spend together.We must learn to live and love each other regardless of our culture, differences, beliefs, religion and color of our skin. We are the only ones that can make a difference for humanity and there will come a time where we will put our differences aside to fight for that one common goal…our existance.
WHAT A STATEMENT TO LIVE BY-HOPE HUMANITY CAN LIVE BY IT
WHAT A GREAT LOSS TODAY FOR GUYANA AAND THE PRESS ASSOCIATION
Beautiful, Sandhurst… this was nicely said.
This is a sad day, in many ways – for the media, for journalism, for his family, for his friends and for the managment, staff and all contributors and readers of Stabroek News.
My heartfelt sympathy and condolences to all.
My sincere condolences to the family of Mr. De Caires. His work continues.
One must never forget the sterling contribution that was done by Mr. De Caires and Stabroek News in the struggle for democracy in Guyana pre-1992.
From its very beginning, Stabroek News has always been seen and recognized as a true Peoples’ Paper. The Letter to the Editor pages has always been open to all in its print media, and now I see the same openness being demonstrated in its electronic media.
Red Lion
I too remember that 1992 struggle for democracy. But what really cought my respect was, after democracy was ushered in, SN did not slide into becoming a mouthpiece for the new ‘democratic’ government. Instead, SN was soon considered its worst ememy. Why? Because the side SN picked was the side of THE PEOPLE, in becoming the only independent newspaper in the country.
I sincerely hope that whoever takes up the mantle maintains this independence, and continues to respect in its reporting the views of all sides, and continues to put PEOPLE first – ALL of the people.
My deepest condolences.
Can I share this video clip with you guys in your moment of grief?
http://www.gtrl.tv/truth.html
RL
I was 18 years old when I walked into the lawyer David deCaires’ office in Georgetown, in answer to an ad for a proofreader position at the exciting new independent newspaper in Guyana, Stabroek News.
My Mom had always held him up to me as a role model. To sit in front of him was an honour.
I had just finished high school, and armed with a Diploma in Journalism from a correspondence school in Britain, sat across from the man who would in the next five years shape my life more than any other single human being.
I have since known other outstanding men who have mentored me – including the alternative energy expert Joseph O’Lall who recently passed away in Guyana.
But from that first day that I met Mr deCaires, I had discovered my place in the world.
He believed in me, nurtured me in my impetuous youth, counseled me, and gave me amazing breaks. His decision to send me on a journalism work study program to Miami, Florida was a defining moment in my life. His decision to promote me from a proofreader to a junior reporter on the recommendation of Elfrieda Bramble demonstrates the humility and kindness of the man.
Because of deCaires, I set my sights on greatness as a human being. Because of deCaires I believe in the nobility of Man. Because of deCaires I treasure my youth. Because of deCaires I developed a keen sense of observing life and people; I learned to be curios and I learned to objectively investigate society’s problems. Because of deCaires, I learned to love compassionate justice.
I believe his place in Guyana’s and the Caribbean’s history is secured, forever. He lived his life seeking only compassionate justice – in human rights, politics and economic matters.
I remember writing a column for the Stabroek News championing laissez faire economics, and he refused to publish it, because although he loved the free market, he was too humane and compassionate to allow his ideology to override his sense of fair play – he believed there must be checks and balances to allow for weaknesses in capitalism. I also remember him assigning me to investigate and report on suspicious extra-judicial deaths in Guyana, and how concerned he was that so-called criminals were being killed without a fair trial.
deCaires gave me the gift of being able to grow up in my generation in Guyana with courage, a humane worldview, and a deep sense of care for the welfare of society.
This he was – a man with a deep sense of care for society. He lived to better the world. The best tribute I can pay him is to emulate that simple philosophy – I will live as he taught me – to care for the betterment of society, to see every human being in society benefit from a fair playing field.
Thank you, David deCaires – for giving your heart and soul to a nation, and helping individuals like me escape the ‘lost generation’ of Guyana’s dark years. Thank you for shaping my worldview and giving me the gift to live a noble, compassionate life.
I live now in Canada as a writer, media innovator and author because one man believed in my youth. Thank you, David deCaires. Good fruits have sprung from your awesome life.
Shaun Michael Samaroo
WHAT A SHOCK FOR ME!!!!
My condolences to the family
What a great loss for Guyana
Mr.Decaires was the pioneer in bringing back a free press to this country
I AM EXTREMELY SAD AT HIS PASSING