JLP, Broadcasting Commission hail Hector Bernard
THE Opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) said yesterday that late journalist Hector Bernard epitomized professionalism, integrity and leadership in his career.
At the same time, the Broadcasting Commission said it marked with sorrow the death of Bernard, one of its board members.
Bernard, who was ailing for some time, died on Saturday. He was 84.
“He was an advocate for press freedom and better working conditions for journalists while at the same time insisted on high standards from reporters,” JLP information spokesman, Olivia “Babsy” Grange said in a statement.
“An intellectual giant and prolific writer, he brought a particularly intense, insightful perspective to local and international issues and was usually able to report these, always tempered with a sense of balance, accuracy and independence in a manner only he could.
“Hector will surely be remembered for his charisma and the significant contribution he made to the development of journalism in Jamaica,” said the JLP’s Grange.
Executive director of the Broadcasting Commission, Cordell Green, said the earnest manner in which Bernard embraced his duties, in spite of ill-health, conveyed his deep commitment to the continued development of the Jamaican media.
Green said Bernard’s fluency in four languages — English, French, Spanish and Dutch — proved particularly useful, noting that In his earlier years at the Caribbean Commission, where he worked as information officer, he skillfully scripted broadcasts in those languages.
Chairman of the Broadcasting Commission, Dr Simon Clarke, remarked that Hector Bernard had been a beacon in the field of journalism. “While he was very keen on informing the public, he was also constantly aware of the responsibility that a journalist had, maintaining high standards of discipline and sticking to the truth.”
Dr Clarke noted that Bernard’s contribution to the Broadcasting Commission, like that to the print and electronic media, was outstanding and would not easily be forgotten.
Meanwhile, Commissioner Dr Hopeton Dunn described Bernard as “one of the great father figures of Jamaica’s journalism, who served as mentor, critic and exemplar for several generations of print and broadcast practitioners”. He said Bernard was “a man of great wit and wisdom who will be greatly missed”.