Tributes pour in for Maxwell

'A keeper of democracy has left us'

Prime Minister Bruce Golding has lamented the passing of veteran journalist John Maxwell, describing him as one of the Caribbean region's brightest and most outspoken journalists.

Hailing Maxwell as being at the vanguard of democracy, the prime minister said that in his over 50 years as a journalist, Maxwell gained the utmost respect for his fearless and outspoken views and commentaries.

"He lived life passionately and took that same approach and dedication to his profession as a journalist who managed to exercise his craft in every area of the media leaving his indelible mark. His death is a tremendous loss to his profession," Golding said.

'His wit was razor sharp and his research acumen unquestionable'

In her tribute to the late Maxwell, Leader of the Opposition, Portia Simpson Miller, said the veteran journalist symbolised "the consummate advocate".

"He was fearless in expressing his opinions on any and all the issues that attracted his attention. His wit was razor sharp and his research acumen unquestionable."

Simpson Miller also described Maxwell as an unapologetic champion of Jamaica's natural environment. "His contribution in that field yielded the Natural Resources Conservation Authority and his voice would always be heard providing guidance to developers on how to proceed with projects in the most 'environmentally friendly way'."

"The collection of articles, papers, and opinions he has written throughout his career if and when collated would certainly track and document Jamaica's social, environmental, political and economic development over the last 50 years."

"This country is the luckier for the work of John Maxwell."

'A strident defender of truth, a fearless warrior for justice'

The Press Association of Jamaica (PAJ) joins the media fraternity in Jamaica and the Caribbean in paying tribute to one of its most devoted sons, John Maxwell, who passed away late Friday after a long illness.

Maxwell has contributed more than 50 years to journalism, the last two decades of which have been devoted to his legendary advocacy for environmental justice.

PAJ President Jenni Campbell has hailed Maxwell as "one of the longest-shining beacons of the profession, a strident defender of truth, a fearless warrior for justice, and a stalwart of the profession".

In his tribute, past president Desmond Richards remembers John as an "indefatigable fighter for press freedom and the rights of the small man to access to the media. He is irreplaceable".

Veteran journalist Claude Robinson, who was John's co-worker at the Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation during the 1960s and '70s, said he "wore his journalism on his sleeve. He was brave, courageous and inquisitive".

Robinson recalls John as a "believer in the developmental use of radio to empower voiceless people", noting that he pioneered radio talk show with Public Eye, where he launched a campaign on behalf of domestic helpers, and ultimately influenced the introduction of the national minimum wage policy.

Retired Gleaner Editor-in-Chief Ken Allen, who, along with John, was among the first set of trainee journalists employed by The Gleaner in the early 1950s, remembers him as a "brilliant writer and a lively, bright fellow who was not afraid of arguing or challenging other points of view".

The PAJ mourns John's passing and encourages his family to take comfort in his enviable journalistic legacy.