My friend and former colleague Brian Davis, who has died aged 91, was a journalist of the old school, meticulous in his commitment to fair, accurate reporting throughout an understated but distinguished career. All those he trained remember his mantra: “If you can’t get names right, why should anyone trust the rest of the story?”
He spent the bulk of his time in regional journalism, except for a stint subediting on the Guardian in the 1960s. He trained dozens of young journalists, including the future broadcaster Richard Madeley at the Brentwood Argus, where Brian was the launch editor in 1968 and stayed for nearly 20 years. He later appeared as a guest on an episode of This Is Your Life that featured Madeley.
