25 years of ‘telling it as it is’

AS Newsday celebrates 25 years of ‘telling it as it is’ tomorrow, the newspaper took time to honour some of its long-serving staff members yesterday. The long-service awards ceremony was held at Newsday’s administrative headquarters in El Socorro.

Public Affairs Editor Horace Monsegue, one of seven members of staff awarded for 25 years service, described his career at The People’s Newspaper as, “incredible.”

“The first few years were the most challenging and it was good to know that we built something that has since stood the test of time and has the potential to be much stronger and more vibrant and number one as we used to. So it has been an interesting time,” Monsegue said.

Executive Editorial Consultant Jones P. Madeira said the presentations yesterday were being given to the awardees with the company’s deepest appreciation for the years of unstinting service to the paper.

He said at these types of events, reporters usually take the limelight, however, those who work in the press room and in operations are in effect journalists which was not just a job but an identity.

Madeira said that identity was being buttressed and strained, “in this moment we live which was one of the worst economic eras this country had ever faced.”

At the ceremony, Managing Director Grant Taylor said there was a collective experience of 1,500 years in the room and he was just the “new kid on the block.” He praised the staff and shareholders, the latter for their vision in seeing a space for a third newspaper in this country.

Taylor said he was looking forward to the next 25 years. Awards were presented to staff members in the 15, 20 and 25 year brackets.