Sunday Times 2
Rex de Silva’s values enriched those whose lives he shaped – Tribute
View(s):By Kapila Bandara
Rex de Silva’s beloved creation Ibson, often reflected the thinking of the average Sri Lankan about the social and political travails of our island. The tortoise wearing a cap with a five-pointed star and appearing in the SUN would wind up political clowns, bureaucrats, doctors, and the like, while also offering a humorous slant on current affairs and troubling social issues.
This admirable pocket cartoon, Ibson’s Choice, also represented Editor Rex de Silva’s ability to be witty and wise.Ibson tickled and tested the tolerance of presidents, prime ministers, finance ministers, foreign ministers, and even leaders of neighbouring lands.
Veteran editor Rex de Silva’s first death anniversary was commemorated last Friday with a thanksgiving service at the Sacred Heart Church in Rajagiriya. Our pictures show the parish priest, Rev. Fr. Anslem Fonseka, conducting the service to thank God for the outstanding life and work of a creative genius, and a section of the congregation is also seen. Pic by Anuradha Bandara
Decades before human-made algorithms began constructing so-called trending topics, Rex’s Ibson made readers aware of tales worthy of debate over bread, pol sambal and plain tea. A creature of a few words, Ibson even offered counter-narratives to the official spin. The audacious Ibson turned out to be the sandpaper that bruised the thick-skinned.
Seen through the rearview mirror, with Ibson, Rex was teaching us a profound lesson on the primary role of a journalist – hold the Government to account for the sake of the people.
There were days, when, after a swift takedown by Ibson, or even through an artillery round of an editorial, Rex would quip to his editorial confidant, Louis Benedict, that the SUN is holding back a little ink in the pen. That will be reserve firepower for another humorous strike, just in case the subject of his satire decides to toss a grenade at the much-loved Ibson, if not the editorial. The two veterans would both chuckle and pledge to have another go at another time, either in an editorial or in Ibson’s Choice.
Through unscripted experiences such as these we absorbed values and ideals that enriched our journey in journalism, while we orbited Rex de Silva’s SUN and WEEKEND universe – save the ammunition, so we can beat the establishment back, again and again, in the interest of the public whom we serve.
In particular, youthful, novice sub-editors in the editorial room at Hulftsdorp had plenty of opportunity to embrace good values in an environment of camaraderie and be challenged to think critically about issues such as inequality in the country. Many of the young sub-editors must have reminded Rex of his own youthful initiation into a well-recognised national weekly and daily. That perhaps explains why he persuaded a few young sub-editors to leave their desks and head to the far corners of the island. They later went to world capitals. That was all-rounder Rex de Silva’s way of moulding journalists who could easily fit into multiple roles in the vocation of journalism. Many who benefited from Rex’s assuring hand, continue to fill senior ranks at overseas media corporations.
In his interactions with young journalists, he unwittingly taught us the futility of chasing the glory of a byline. It was neither us, nor our bylines (or even picture bylines), that mattered, but the people, their aspirations, their voices, their pain, and their bread and butter issues. It was another value we embraced from a professional who was gracious, humble and who was most comfortable in the editor’s chair and not on the stage.
From such a personality worthy of emulation, we would also soak up the values of modesty and humility in our pursuit of social justice as journalists. After all, many of us gravitated to the SUN and WEEKEND motivated by an unquenchable desire to represent the least advantaged of our community.
In the people’s square that was the SUN and WEEKEND, Rex de Silva shared with us his values, his standards, and his best practices, and he gave us an unspoken mandate to learn and to excel.
He taught us that newspapers are bigger than the people who inhabit them.