First Graphic Night Editor passes away

One of the pioneers who helped set up the newsroom of the Daily Graphic, Mr Isaac Eshun, has passed away at the age of 96.

Mr Eshun, who passed away on October 15, this year was the first Night Editor of the Daily Graphic when the paper was established. He served under the first Editor, the late Martin Therson-Cofie.

He joined the company, then known as West African Graphic Company Limited, with a wealth of experience in journalism.  Later, Mr Eshun went into private business and established Voice and Vision Ghana Limited, a public relations and publishing company.

Funeral rites

According to the family, the burial and final funeral rites have been slated for November 12, this year in Accra.

The Managing Director of Voice and Vision, Mr Richard B. Eshun, on behalf of the family, informed the management of GCGL about the demise of the first Night Editor.

He said there would be a burial service at the Lashibi Funeral Home, with a private burial shortly thereafter.

The family will gather at the Lashibi Funeral Home for the final funeral rites immediately after the burial.

Stint with Graphic

The late Mr Eshun was one of the few people who served Graphic Group in different capacities, rising through the ranks to become a Managing Director and Board Chairman.

He joined the then West African Graphic Company in 1951 as a Night Editor and rose through the ranks to become the Editor of the Daily Graphic, succeeding the first Editor, the late Therson-Cofie.

In exercising his independence as a journalist, Mr Eshun resigned as Editor in 1964 over what he considered as interference in his job from the then political establishment over an editorial decision.

He had insisted on exercising his journalistic judgement over a publication of a photograph against the preference of the then political authorities.

Years later, he returned to the company as its acting General Manager, a position now designated as Managing Director, and later Chairman of the Board of Directors of the GCGL.

In 2014, Graphic honoured him when he celebrated his 90th birthday, presenting him with a citation and cash.

Profile

Born on January 10, 1924, the late Mr Eshun had his elementary education at the Tarkwa Methodist School.

After Middle School, he enrolled at the then Wesley College, Kumasi, where he successfully graduated as a teacher in 1946.

After teaching for two years, Mr Eshun joined the Ashanti Pioneer newspaper to learn on the job as a journalist.

He later travelled to Belfast in Northern Ireland for further studies. It was upon his return that he joined the Daily Graphic as the Night Editor.