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As our Editor, Welshman Phil Parry has written many times a free and independent media is essential to a functioning society, although this does not exist in many states around the world, with a great believer in this being the legendary newspaper Editor Sir Harry Evans, and now comes news that a Welsh actor is to play him in a drama about his extraordinary life.
For any journalist worth his or her salt, the name ‘Harry Evans‘ is one to venerate.
He was a campaigning Editor of the Northern Echo, and then, famously, the Sunday Times.
His investigative Insight team broke some of the biggest stories in UK history, including exposing the truth about traitor Kim Philby, facts concerning the DC-10 air crash in 1974 (at the time the worst disaster of its kind the world had ever seen), and, perhaps most memorably, revealing the appalling thalidomide scandal.
Now it has emerged that a six-part drama about his incredible life is to be broadcast, with the Cardiff-born actor Matthew Rhys in the title role.
The series ‘Dragon Slayers’ will explore Sir Harry’s fine work as a journalist.
Although I am certainly not in his league, I like to think I continue in his excellent tradition with stories on The Eye.
I totally endorse the comments of Mr Rhys, who has declared: “At a time when stories (he did) are imperative, I am thrilled to be a part of this show”.
It is set in the 1970s, and based on wide-ranging research into Sir Harry’s remarkable life, published accounts, and interviews with those who knew and worked alongside him – including his widow, former Vanity Fair Editor Tina Brown. Although he moved to America with Ms Brown in 1984 (and died almost six years ago), he never really left his true love of journalism behind.
Sir Harry was editor of The Sunday Times from 1967 to 1981, and its sister title The Times for a year from 1981, before being forced out of the latter post by Rupert Murdoch.
While at The Sunday Times, he led the newspaper’s campaign to seek compensation for mothers who had taken thalidomide for morning sickness, which led to their children having severely deformed limbs.
Sir Harry became an American citizen, but retained British nationality as well.
He held journalistic positions with US News & World Report, The Atlantic Monthly, and the New York Daily News.
In 1986, he founded Condé Nast Traveller. He wrote books on history and journalism, such as The American Century.
From 2001, he served as editor-at-large of The Week magazine and, from 2005, he was a contributor to The Guardian and BBC Radio.
Sir Harry became a ‘Knight Bachelor’ in 2004, for services to journalism, and in June 2011, he was appointed editor-at-large of the Reuters news agency.
From 2013 until 2019, he served as chairman of the European Press Prize jury panel.
So it can be seen that Sir Harry followed an amazing trajectory in journalism.
While I am certainly second division compared with him (and I am too much of a troublemaker ever to be knighted!), journalists can at least try to follow in his footsteps with pieces on The Eye, because as Mr Rhys proclaims: “stories of this nature are imperative…”.
The journalism of Phil, as he tried to be guided by Harry Evans, when he was being gripped by the rare neurological condition Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia (HSP), have been released in a major book ‘A GOOD STORY’. Order it now!
Next week – as Phil has written many times a free and independent media is essential for a functioning democracy (as Harry Evans would no doubt agree), and this is now highlighted by disturbing events today during the Ukraine war.
