Remembering Brian Barron
He was the most tenacious, even ruthless correspondent I ever worked against.
In the 1970s Brian Barron and I chased down the grim regime of Uganda’s President Idi Amin. We also reported on Kenyatta’s funeral in Kenya, and much else beyond.
In learning of his death today from cancer, I feel one of my coordinates has gone. Barron’s excellent reporting was a yardstick to which one aspired.
He was the ultimate, objective professional.
I well remember, in one of our contests to track down some miscreant in northern Kenya, hiding under a remote café table in a grass-roofed shack. We thought we had a tip as to where our prey could be found.
With some glee we saw Barron’s Land Cruiser steaming past the open door in the wrong direction, only to emerge to find that he was right and we were wrong.
He got the interview and we didn’t.
My thoughts are with his widow and daughter.
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This sounds like what your friend would have wanted, you getting the story first for once, its a shame it his passing away, and if we may say, it sounds like new up and coming journalists have lost a Guide and Role Model.
Very sad news indeed. I’m too young to have seen much of his best-known reporting but will always appreciate his kind words and encouragement when I was starting out as a journalist.
Another one of those journalists that we grew up with. We knew what he said was important, so we listened. A sad loss.
Your support for the “outing” of Prince Harry’s role in Afghanistan pretty much makes you the opposite of Brian Barron.
You should have been removed , you really are the quintessential dirty journalist.
It’s always such a tragedy the loss of all life, but more poignant when a complete stranger who put his life in peril in order to report the atrocities going on around the world, is a significant passing.
It’s good isn’t it being allowed a bit more of ourselves into blogging ? but isn’t the passing of time sad.?… That tell tale lump in the throat when we hear “the way we were ” tells it all.
Hi Jon….yes I well remember Brian Barron….a Hard Core Journalist…
Very important….people..
Brian Barron was a real hero amongst journalists, a lion amongst men.
I hope that he rests in peace – and I send my condolences to his family and friends. he will be sadly missed.
I do agree that Brian was a sad loss but the fact of the matter is, he kicked my dog
Sad news of his passing. Growing up in the 70s it was always Charles Wheeler from Washington and Brian Barron from everywhere else.
[...] “In learning of his death today from cancer, I feel one of my co-ordinates has gone. Barron’s excellent reporting was a yardstick to which one aspired,” Snow wrote on his blog. [...]
I was so saddened by the death of Brian Barron, he was a superb journalist my thoughts and prayers go to his family
Angryman: it’s refreshing to know there are people like you out there; it gives the rest of us a reason to rant. Why should our government sanction a D-notice because a royal fancies a jaunt? He endangered everyone – you’re being conveniently naive.
What on earth are royals doing in the military, anyway? They’re just magnets for the enemy – everyone since Hannibal has understood this. Let Harry join a gun-club, give him a medal and leave it at that. He’ll feel manly: we’ll feel safe.
NICE TRIBUTE TO BRIAN but Jon is now reporting from italy and foretelling of an oncoming exit of aged Italians in a few years… a workforce gap!!! and what is more a smaller percentageof possible employees to those retired. Get your kids learning italian.Thats positive reporting . Bye Brian hello Jon