Obituary | K M Mathew, Chief Editor, Malayala Manorama passed away

Born on Jan 2nd 1917, he is credited for making Malayala Manorma one of the leading language dailies in the country since his position as a Managing Editor in 1954 and Chief Editor in 1973.

With his impressive journalistic career, he has made a mark in the mind of the common man. He has been able to achieve a lifetime of success with his many prominent positions. He was the chairman of PTI ( Press Trust of India), president of INS ( Indian Newspaper Society) and the chairman of the ABC (Audit Bureau of Circulation).

Varghese Chandy, Senior General Manager, Marketing Operations of Malayala Manorma reflects on how, when K.M Mathew took over in the fifties, Malayala Manorma was only the fifth largest newspaper with just 30,000 copies. He further adds, "Under his leadership, the newspaper grew to become not only the largest newspaper in Kerala but also the largest regional language newspaper in the country with over 18 lakh copes from 17 editions in India and abroad."

K.M Mathew was an entrepreneur in the true sense. The Week, highly acclaimed English news magazine is attributed solely to him. It was under his guidance and support that Manorma group of companies could blend in with the changing times in the media scenario.

He also was responsible for launching many magazines which are unsurpassed in their respective genre- Vanitha, Manorama Weekly, The Week , to name a few. All the other multi media ventures - Manorama News (TV), F M Radio(Radio Mango), Manorama Online are all roaring success stories.

"Even though K.M Mathew has left the company in the hands of able successors who are all top notch professional, it is a terrible loss for the organization and also to us, the members individually. Only with time, can we come to terms with this great loss", said Mr. Chandy