Veteran journalist Hector Bernard died at his Kingston home yesterday after a long illness. He was 84.

Bernard, who up until the time of his death was still publishing his fortnightly newsletter, Insight, passed away at approximately 1:56 pm, a family member told the Sunday Observer.

Yesterday, his long-time friend and colleague journalist, John Maxwell, described Bernard as the most important journalist of the 20th century in Jamaica and the Caribbean and credited him with lifting the standard of the profession.

“It was mainly due to him that two crucial movements in journalism took place,” Maxwell explained “The first being the transition of the journalist from being an underpaid messenger to the professional levels that have now been attained. This happened because, as the director of news and public affairs when the Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation (JBC) began in 1959, Hector insisted on a real and professional newsroom. Before that, radio news had simply been material obtained from newspapers.”

Maxwell said Bernard was also responsible for giving journalists real responsibility and autonomy, which, until that time, had almost been completely unknown in Jamaica.

“He was the first editor to believe in paying journalists what they were actually worth and changed the profession forever,” Maxwell said.

“I have lost a friend and a teacher and Jamaica has lost a man and a journalist whose value is even now not properly appreciated. He was the best,” Maxwell added.

Meanwhile, a clearly shaken Claude Robinson said Bernard was the “most important influence” on his journalistic life.

“He was my first news director when I went to work at JBC. He has always been very special to me because what I learned, or whatever I thought I understood about journalism, integrity and responsibility – he was responsible.”

Robinson said that Bernard took an active interest in both the personal and professional lives of all those who came to the JBC during the 1960s.

“He wanted so much to create a situation that was independent of interference – political or otherwise,” said Robinson, adding that this was one of the reasons Bernard strove so hard to ensure that journalists operated with the highest integrity.

“I think he inspired a whole generation of Jamaican journalists and journalists in the wider Caribbean,” he added.

Bernard began his career in journalism at the Jamaica Standard reporting the revolutionary developments of 1938. His career continued at the weekly Agricultural Advocate and the Daily Express and matured at the Daily Gleaner where he carved out an important niche for himself as the Gleaner’s farm reporter – a first for Jamaican journalism – and then as farm editor.

He put Jamaican farming firmly on the national agenda with his Farmer’s Weekly, a supplement to the Saturday Gleaner.

While he produced the Farmer’s Weekly, Bernard found time, along with contemporaties like Vic Reid, Ferdie Williams and Calvin Bowen, to give sustained and comprehensive instruction to newcomers to journalism, some of whom are now themselves eminent practitioners.

He left the Gleaner and worked as information officer for the Caribbean Commission, after which, he took over Spotlight news magazine from Evon Blake.

But it was at the JBC that Bernard made his indelible mark on journalism, as, in addition to creating the newsroom, he created several ground-breaking programmes, including the Public Eye, The Verdict is Yours, Brain Trust, Press Conference, Firing Line, Forum and the news commentaries.

Bernard leaves three children, several grandchildren, other relatives and longtime companion Gloria Maragh.