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KINGSTON, Jamaica \u2013 Award-winning veteran journalist Balford Henry, whose career spanned more than five decades of reporting, has died at the age of 74.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He died on Monday after a short illness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Henry entered journalism in 1971 as a trainee reporter with the Gleaner while in sixth form at Wolmer\u2019s Boys\u2019 School in Kingston.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Early in his career, he reported on sittings of the Kingston and St Andrew Corporation (KSAC) before making his name as a labour relations reporter and later a parliamentary journalist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He also covered major social and cultural activities and historical events, including Bob Marley\u2019s funeral in 1981.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Henry also served as a senior reporter with the Jamaica Observer and a consulting editor at the Jamaica Information Service (JIS).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A recipient of a number of professional awards, Henry was the winner of the Press Association of Jamaica (PAJ) Honorary Award for a series on the social and economic problems facing Jamaican youths in Britain\u2019s inner cities, based on his own experience while living in the country in 1977, according to the JIS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He also won the PAJ Best Story award for his coverage of Marley\u2019s funeral as well as the PAJ\u2019s first Cultural Story Award for the feature on reggae singer Junior Byles entitled, \u2018Fall of a Superstar\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2011, Henry was conferred with the Order of Distinction (Officer Class) for distinguished service to journalism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He leaves behind two daughters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Source: Jamaica Observer<\/a>, 14 September 2026. Republished for the Wolmer\u2019s Trust community with attribution.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n by Karen Madden<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n September 15, 2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n Veteran journalist Balford Henry, who died on Monday, is being remembered by colleagues, friends and the political class for his fair yet fearless journalism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n His death at age 74, following a brief illness, has triggered widespread tributes across the media industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBalford was the person who taught me to look beyond the speech,\u201d recalled Gleaner Associate Editor Robert Hart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhen the Government outlined, in the 2003-2004 Budget Debate, the exemptions for essential goods included in its restructuring of the General Consumption Tax framework, they would have expected applause. But he showed me that just meant they weren\u2019t pointing out all the hidden items that would not be zero-rated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTogether, we exposed a range of items that were in danger of being taxed, including sanitary napkins, tampons, baby formula, basic foods, and medicines. Facing public backlash, the Government had to go back to the drawing board and, among other actions, legally codify sanitary napkins as tax-free items. I was proud of the national impact of our work together and, for a young reporter, it made this job feel like it meant something,\u201d Hart said, noting that Henry, as his editor, took no credit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Former Gleaner Editor-in-Chief Wyvolyn Gager said Henry was the \u201cconsummate professional who chose accuracy over speed every time\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She added: \u201cBalford was never driven by a desire for applause. He was a quiet, respectful man. He was someone who was committed to the truth and dedicated his life to keeping Jamaicans informed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jamaica Observer Editor-at-Large Arthur Hall worked with Henry at both The Gleaner and The Observer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI first met Balford many years ago when I was a young man covering Parliament. At that time, I used to admire the fact that he had the confidence of members of parliament on both sides of the aisle, who would save documents for him and be willing to give him the interviews even when they didn\u2019t speak to us,\u201d Hall recalled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOver the years, I\u2019ve worked with him in several capacities and in different media houses. He was a writer\u2019s writer \u2013 always wanting to write … and always writing in a concise and clear manner that made it fun to read.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hall said Henry was a quiet, unassuming individual who was a credit to local journalism, adding that he will be sorely missed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Colin Steer, who served as Gleaner news editor during Henry’s time as deputy news editor, also noted his “generally mild-mannered and unassuming” nature, but pointed out that “beneath that quiet exterior was a journalist with clear and strongly held views”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He continued: “These found expression particularly in his opinion columns during the late 1970s and 1980s, where he demonstrated that the diligent reporter in the field was also a thoughtful observer of Jamaican society and public affairs.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Added Steer: “Those who worked alongside Balford will also remember his distinctive method of producing copy. He could type at remarkable speed, largely using his two index fingers, attacking the keyboard with an urgency that seemed to match the pace of the newsroom itself. From a single event, press conference or development, Balford could often produce three or more separate stories, identifying different angles that another reporter might easily have overlooked.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Former colleague Lester Hinds recalled the competitive spirit which marked their interactions both professionally and personally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHe and I worked together at The Gleaner before I left for RJR. There was a kind of friendly rivalry between us as we sought to outdo each other in securing stories that were not assignments. When I was at RJR and he was still at The Gleaner, we would see each other on assignments and the friendship continued,\u201d he said. \u201cBalford was a true professional. The profession will be poorer for his passing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Henry\u2019s career spanned several decades during which he also worked at the Jamaica Information Service (JIS), Reggae Times, the New York Daily News, and WLIB Radio in New York.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On his induction into the Order of Distinction (Officer Class) for distinguished service to journalism in 2011, Henry said he \u201csimply loves to write\u201d and responded to the call to the fourth estate during the summer of 1971, while a sixth-former at Wolmer\u2019s Boys\u2019 School.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He won the Press Association of Jamaica (PAJ) Best Story award for his coverage of the funeral of reggae icon Bob Marley in 1981, and the PAJ\u2019s first Cultural Story Award for the feature \u2018Fall of a Superstar\u2019 on the rise and fall of reggae singer Junior Byles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Although retired, Henry was a freelance writer with The Jamaica Observer at the time of his passing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness remembered Henry as a \u201ccommitted journalist who understood the responsibility that comes with telling Jamaica\u2019s story. His work reflected a deep knowledge of our politics, our people and the issues affecting our country\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Culture Minister Olivia Grange said Henry\u2019s was \u201ca first-rate journalist who was committed to his craft\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI had great respect for Balford. He was always professional in his interactions and in his journalistic pursuits. He was sharp, he was keen, he could be tough, but he was always fair,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n PAJ President Dashan Hendricks noted that Henry helped to document important periods in Jamaica\u2019s political, industrial, and cultural life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBalford Henry represented a generation of journalists who understood the responsibility of recording the life of the country with seriousness and commitment. His contribution across labour, politics, culture and public affairs has left an important mark on Jamaican journalism,\u201d Hendricks said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Source: Jamaica Gleaner<\/a>, 15 September 2026. Republished for the Wolmer\u2019s Trust community with attribution.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nJamaica Gleaner<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Caribbean National Weekly<\/h2>\n\n\n\n