Newsday's founding father John Babb dies at 91

One of the founding fathers of Newsday, John Babb, has died at 91.

His family confirmed his death in hospital on August 3.

Babb had a long history in the media. He was a reporter in the days when Dr Eric Williams was prime minister, and was one of the only journalists who had easy access to Williams.

He joined Newsday in 1993, when Therese Mills was editor-in-chief, and helped build the newspaper until he retired on March 4, 2016, after 70 years in journalism.

Mills had been his close friend since their days at the Port of Spain Gazette in the 1950s.

Babb was one of the few remaining journalists proficient at shorthand, which helped in his verbatim coverage of several high-profile court cases including that of notorious criminal Mano Benjamin, “The Beast from Biche,” who sexually assaulted and enslaved two sisters, whom he blinded, in the 1960s; and the 1996 trial of drug kingpin Dole Chadee and his gang, who were accused of killing four members of the Baboolal family in Williamsville in 1994.

Thanks to his coverage of Chadee’s trial, Newsday’s circulation soared from 19,000 to 75,000.

Commenting on Babb’s career, editor-in-chief Camille Moreno said: “Mr Babb was Newsday’s first news editor, joining Therese Mills, our founding editor-in-chief, and others when the paper began in 1993.

“He was a well-loved mentor and father figure to generations of journalists.

“He was renowned for his coverage of local and global politics, and court reporting, where his shorthand skills made him a legend. His insightful commentaries on our music festivals shone a the spotlight on many musicians and helped the event to gain prominence on our cultural calendar.

“He was a fearless, funny and inspiring person to have known.”