BARJAM mourns the loss of veteran journalist Rickey Singh

The Barbados Association of Journalists and Media Workers (BARJAM) is mourning the death of veteran Guyana-born journalist and columnist Rickey Singh, who passed away on Saturday at his residence in Barbados.

In a statement issued following his passing, BARJAM described Singh’s death as a major loss to the profession, highlighting his courage, professionalism, and fearless pursuit of truth during a journalism career that spanned decades and covered some of the most defining political events in Caribbean history.

Below is the full statement from BARJAM:

It is with deep sadness that we learned of the death of veteran Guyana-born Caribbean journalist and columnist Rickey Singh, who passed away at his Barbados residence on Saturday.

On behalf of the local media community, the executive of the Barbados Association of Journalists and Media Workers (BARJAM) expresses condolences to Singh’s family, close friends and colleagues across the region.

“BARJAM sees his death as a major loss to the profession to which he contributed richly through decades of courageous and insightful work,” said president Ryan Broome.

“The commitment, professionalism, fearlessness and doggedness that Singh possessed, are some of the key characteristics of a true journalist, worthy of emulation,” Broome added.

Singh, whose long career began as a general reporter, soon ascended the ranks to become a senior political reporter at the Guiana Graphic, the predecessor of the Guyana Chronicle.

The full extent of his work would eventually stretch for decades across the region and abroad, including some of the most defining political moments in Caribbean history.

His journalistic path was underscored by strength in the face of all the odds, determination, and an inclination for uncovering the unrevealed.

His career was punctuated with dramatic and often perilous moments — from narrowly escaping a lynching while on assignment in Buxton, to surviving an encounter with a notorious ‘Death Squad’ in Georgetown’s Botanical Gardens, and even a near-fatal poisoning incident at work.

Yet, perhaps most memorable were his bold and unflinching exchanges with some of the Caribbean’s most formidable political figures — encounters that not only defined his career but also helped shape regional discourse.

He contributed to several wire services and publications in the region, including Guyana, Barbados, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, the BBC Caribbean Report and Caribbean News Agency (CANA) as well as services in North America and Britain.

Singh was a recipient of an Honorary Doctorate from the University of the West Indies for his contributions as a journalist in regional affairs. In 2023, Singh was recognised with a Lifetime Achievement Award in Guyana.

Singh was also a founder and first President of the Caribbean Association of Media Workers (CAMWORK).

He will be profoundly missed.

May he rest in peace.

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