Searchlight -marching forward to the next 2o, with confidence

My overwhelming emotion on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of Searchlight is one of profound gratitude. When I reflect on what could have been and compare that with what is, I am humbled by the providence of the Almighty.

Two decades ago, a group of relatively naive men, filled with ideas, decided they wanted to publish their own newspaper. Except for Renwick Rose, who had edited Freedom and Justice between 1974 and 1989, none of the others (although they had been columnists with other newspapers) had any experience with what it took to produce a national publication on a sustained basis.{{more}}

But with Renwick out of the country much of the time and Oscar Allen living in the countryside, the bulk of the work and responsibility to produce the newspaper fell on the shoulders of first chair­ Dr Adrian Fraser, director Sebastian “Bassy” Alexander and the equally naive woman they co-opted to become the first editor and managing director, Norma Keizer.

Today, people see a company which produces two quality national publications a week, owns its own building, employs 20 people and pays its bills and dividends to its shareholders. Few people know of the sacrifices made by the people on whose shoulders this company was built.

Although Dr Fraser and Bassy were never officially employees of the company, they were always there in those crucial foundation years. In addition to being columnists, they were photographers, reporters and taxi men, and sat out those long nights with Mrs Keizer, when very little seemed to be going right. Needless to say, neither they, nor Mrs Keizer received any remuneration back then. I will leave it to others to elaborate on the contribution of my mother, Norma Keizer, to this undertaking. I will say one thing though, as with everything else she undertook in her life, she gave her all. Where we are today, is in large measure, as a result of her hard work and commitment and the goodwill and respect she brought with her after her tenure at the Girls’ High School.

I know am taking a risk in naming the unsung heroes of this company, but for completeness of the record, it must be done.

Bassy Alexander has the distinction of being the only person whose work has been published in every Weekend edition of the newspaper since inception. This speaks to his commitment to and love for Searchlight, which those who follow on should never forget.

Renwick Rose has provided consistent editorial support to successive editors, beginning with Mrs Keizer. He is a prolific writer and on short notice, could be called upon to provide editorial comment on a wide range of topics. Present chair Corletha Ollivierre and Dexter Rose (himself a former editor of Searchlight and chair of Interactive Media Ltd), both journalists by training, also provided valuable editorial support.

Harold Hoyte, editor emeritus of The Nation newspapers in Barbados, in an editorial piece on page 34, recounts the early interaction between Searchlight and The Nation. He focused in his article on Searchlight’s accomplishments, but said little about how accommodating and generous the entire Nation staff was, and still is, to us.

Many others assisted, included among them Jerry George, Anthony Mejias, Cims Martin and Frank DaSilva. Then, there are the dozens of talented and hardworking staffers who have passed through our portals and now hold positions of prominence at home and abroad.

Of course, we are always thankful for the loyal support of our readers, advertisers and vendors and never take them for granted. We pledge to continue to work hard to provide you with journalism you can trust. We make mistakes, perhaps more than we should, but strive never to make the same one twice.

So now, as we face the next 20 years, we go forward with confidence, knowing that our foundation is strong, the greatest obstacles can be overcome and growth will come through creative endeavours and innovative practices.