Barry May was the incarnation of what a Reuters journalist should be

Barry May was not a personal friend. I did not know him as a journalist.

But when I discovered The Baron one day in 2008, I thought: “This doesn’t seem too corporate, it seems good!” And I followed The Baron and I became quite fond of Barry, who built a thoughtful operation without a lot of money and with a spine.

I decided that the Thomson Reuters Foundation, where I served from 2008 to 2019, should first grow the Reuters Institute in Oxford and then build a great team of journalists covering what were still at the time under-reported stories like the human impact of climate change, women’s rights, human trafficking, land and property rights, and finally gay rights in countries where you could not be openly gay.

Very quickly, Barry noticed what the Foundation was doing and invited me to a bash where he got Steve Somerville and Michael Nelson to introduce me, a great get-together where I met so many more of you.

Barry was for me both the incarnation of the soul of the Reuters journalist, who checks all the facts, and the perfect facilitator - great qualities to combine.

I have no doubt Barry Moody will keep The Baron going for new highs and I wish him cento di questi anni as they say in Rome!

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