Barbara Conway (journalist)

Barbara Conway
Born	(1952-01-30) 30 January 1952 London, England
Died	5 May 1991(1991-05-05) (aged 39)
Occupation(s)	Financial journalist, author, broadcaster
Years active	1970s–1991
Known for	Investigative financial journalism; "Scrutineer" column at The Daily Telegraph; books on investor rights and maritime fraud

Barbara Anne Conway (30 January 1952 – 5 May 1991) was a distinguished British financial journalist, author, and broadcaster.

Early career

Conway was born in London and received her education at Henrietta Barnett School and briefly attended Barnet and Southgate College. She embarked on her journalism journey in the UK with the weekly financial publication Investors Guardian. Between 1973 and 1977, she contributed an investigative column titled "Cheapside" to the Investors Chronicle, where she focused on uncovering corporate misconduct and advocating for shareholder rights. She was also the sister of music historian David Conway.

At The Daily Telegraph

In 1977, Conway joined the staff of The Daily Telegraph, where she launched the "Scrutineer" column dedicated to exposing financial irregularities. Apart from a short tenure at the Daily Mail, she remained with the Telegraph until 1986. During this period, she authored two books: one serving as a guide on investor rights, featuring illustrations by cartoonist Peter Maddocks, and another investigating maritime fraud, notably revealing the "Salem affair" (1979–80), which involved Lloyd's of London's largest fraudulent insurance claim to date. Her expertise on this subject led Lloyd's to commission an expanded book authored by her.

Conway conducted critical investigations into financiers such as Asil Nadir, Tiny Rowland, and Sir James Goldsmith, whose reactions to her work were notably intense. Despite Sir James Goldsmith accusing her of antisemitism—a claim unfounded given Conway’s Jewish heritage—her professional integrity earned her the 1978 'Young Financial Journalist Award' from the Wincott Foundation.

Later career

In 1986, Conway took on the role of head of information at the newly formed Securities and Investment Board. Finding this position less engaging than journalism, she transitioned in 1988 to join the BBC's business and economics unit, where she contributed extensively to broadcasts. Additionally, she freelanced, including writing computer game reviews for Popular Computing Weekly, and worked as an editor for the early information service Micronet 800.

Despite her battle with cancer, Conway remained professionally active until her passing; her last article appeared posthumously in the Financial Times, focusing on developments within the computer industry. A colleague remarked that she was "an example to all reporters, a pleasure to work with, but a robust opponent in any conflict."

Barbara Conway was laid to rest at Western Synagogue Cemetery in Cheshunt.

References

Notes

Sources

Books by Barbara Conway

• Conway, Barbara (1980), ill. Peter Maddocks. Investor Power: A Guide to Shareholder Rights. London: Flame Books. .

• Revised edition: Conway, Barbara (1988). How to Protect Your Investments: A Guide for Shareholders. Introduction by Lord Shawcross; ill. Peter Maddocks. London: Flame Books. .

• Conway, Barbara (1981). The Piracy Business. London: Hamlyn Paperbacks. .

• German Translation: Conway, Barbara, tr. Alfred P. Zeller (1981). "Seeraub heute: das Milliardengeschäft der moderne Piraten." Bremen: Stalling. .

• Conway, Barbara (1990). Maritime Fraud. London: Lloyd's of London Press. .

Others

• Anon a (1991). "Obituary: Barbara Conway", in The Daily Telegraph, 7 May 1991.
• Anon b (1991). "Obituary: Barbara Conway", in Investors Chronicle, 10 May 1991.
• Anon c (1991). "Obituary: Barbara Conway", in The Times, 21 May 1991.
• Anon d (1991). "Obituary: Barbara Conway", in Jewish Chronicle, 17 May 1991.
• Faith, Nicholas (1997). "Obituary, Sir James Goldsmith, in The Independent, 21 July 1997, accessed 30 April 2020.
• Moore, John (1991). "Barbara Conway" (obituary), in The Independent, 9 May 1991
• Morgan, Nick (1991). "A Seeker of Truth" in Money Week magazine, 22 May 1991.
• "Slícker" (1991). "Barbara Conway", in Slícker column, Private Eye, no. 768 (24 May 1991).
• Yemma, John (1987). "Britain offers lessons for US in protecting investors from abuse" in The Christian Science Monitor, 2 July 1987. Accessed 3 July 2014.