PASSING OF A MEDIA MENTOR

THERE was babble among colleagues in the mid-1970s about Express news editor Jerome Tang Lee.

Tang Lee had arrived unusually late for work one Saturday, according to the chitchat, blaming traffic congestion.

When the mark buss’, it turned out that Jerome had wed his sweetheart, the charming and beautiful Brenda, and then sped to work from San Fernando.

That was the commitment to duty of one of the most remarkable journalists of the last generation, a media professional who had a profound impact on his colleagues.

He was fiercely competitive, with a great work ethic – the “Jerome Syndrome,” some joked – and a flair for tabloid journalism that, in my view, was matched only by the formidable Patrick “Choko” Chookolingo.

Tang Lee, who has died at age 83, was a product of the short-lived British Mirror daily newspaper, which had introduced its crisp, dramatic style to Port of Spain.

When fast-mover Kishore Tewary pooled investors and professionals to launch Express in 1967, Jerome landed as a business reporter and then news editor, which is where I met him in the mid-1970s.

As amiable as he was, he hated being scooped, had a great nose for news, and was tough and thorough with his journalists.

Even with his hard-driving manner, he was greatly admired and respected.

In a pre-Google era, he insisted on context for news stories, which often led reporters to research through bounded old editions.

For his cadre of young journalists, Jerome was hands-on tertiary journalism education.

Tell your story quickly, use direct quotations sparing, call names and actualities, always look for human interest angles.

When a story on an electrical blackout told in a generic way of people being stuck in elevators, he growled at the reporter: “Give me names! Tell me where this happened!”

When I was scooped on the labour beat by Guardian’s Errol Pilgrim, he chided me in the newsroom.

He may have been aghast at the current state of the industry, in which much of journalism is merely transcribing long passages of speeches, without background and situation.

He was always alert to the evolving news world.

Late one evening the news wires reported that Michael Manley was making an unexplained hurried visit to Port of Spain.

Tang Lee interpreted the purpose of the trip – the Jamaican leader was coming to beg for a financial bailout – and landed a regional exclusive.

In 1976, Antiguan artiste Short Shirt’s “Tourist Leggo” was heading for road march honours, to which the calypso body quickly imposed a ban on non-Trinidad and Tobago entertainers.

Jerome sensed a controversy, and placed me on the story, a page one exclusive with an accompanying picture of Short Shirt’s huge appeal on the party circuit.

When television commentators this year reflected on the issue as Exodus played “Tourist Leggo” at Panorama, I remembered the insights and savvy of dyed-in-the-wool newsman Jerome Tang Lee.

There are many more stories of his exceptional ability to ferret out news, present it with simple, vivid language, and drive his journalists to excellence.

But for now, I just want to acknowledge and acclaim a media mentor.