A very special editor

François Duriaud was an exemplar of the very best of journalism and an inspiration as an editor.

I worked for him in the early 1980s when he was Middle East editor and I was a very inexperienced correspondent in Bahrain.

His integrity, meticulous attention to detail and high standards were legend.

His greatest praise about a story as “useful” made one glow with pride just as his worst criticism “it would have been useful” on a missed story was a crushing experience.

My wife Trish and I have such fond memories of François and Alak’s wonderful parties for Reuter colleagues.

He was one of a kind. ■