Jerome Wright had a passion for his Memphis hometown and a devotion to the watchdog mission of journalism that never wavered in close to 50 years as a reporter and editor at The Commercial Appeal, colleagues and even occasional adversaries said Tuesday.
According to those who knew him, Wright considered journalism in general and newspaper reporting in particular to be almost sacred callings — undertakings intended to safeguard citizens by insisting on honesty and integrity from government, law enforcement and other institutions.
“I was in that newsroom for 38 years and knew an awful lot of people that were really dedicated to community journalism and the idea that we made Memphis a better place, and I don’t know of anybody that believed it more or was more passionate about it than Jerome,” said Louis Graham, 66, former editor of The Commercial Appeal.
“Jerome probably spent more time in my office than he did in the press room,” said E. Winslow “Buddy” Chapman, police director during the administration of Mayor Wyeth Chandler, remembering how he and police reporter Wright sometimes butted heads over various stories.