Frank Whalley: The man who led the Star’s first editorial team dies at 79
Frank Whalley, a veteran journalist and influential training editor at The Star and Daily Nation in Kenya, has passed away at age 79. Known for his rigorous standards and mentorship, Whalley played a significant role in shaping the editorial identity of Kenyan newspapers.
Why it matters
Whalley's career highlights the importance of editorial mentorship and the evolution of journalism standards in East Africa.
Some journalists make headlines and editors who quietly, or imperiously, see to it that the people writing know precisely what they are doing.
Frank Whalley, who died on Monday at his Spring Valley home in Nairobi at 79, belonged to the second, and perhaps most consequential bracket.
For decades, the hack with the sharp eye, sharper tongue and almost obsessive allergy to messy copy was not simply an editor.
He was a coach in the mould of a drill sergeant – often irascible, at times intimidating, but a teacher whose lessons rang long in the heads of those who passed through his hands.
He began his career in the 60s in Manchester and arrived at the Daily Nation in the mid 90s, as training editor, where his remit soon went beyond tightening copy.
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