K.M. Mathew, Chief Editor of Malayalam newspaper Malayala Manorama, passed away at his residence on 1 st August,2010. He was 93.
He had age-related ailments, but was active and at work till a few months ago. Born as the eighth son of K.C. Mammen Mappillai and Kunjaadamma on January 2, 1917, Mr. Mathew started off as a rubber planter in Chickmagalur in Karnataka.
He later went to Bombay to look after another line of the family business. He joined the family-owned Malayala Manorama in 1954 as its General Manager and Managing Editor under his elder brother K.M. Cherian, following the death of their father, Mammen Mappillai, who was the Editor from 1904. Mr. Mathew became the Chief Editor of the newspaper, founded in 1888, on the death of Cherian in 1973.Mr. Mathew's brothers included the late K.M. Mammen Mappillai, who was Chairman of the Chennai-based tyre major, MRF Limited.
Under his stewardship, Malayala Manorama embarked on a new journey of expansion and modernisation. He encouraged young talent, and several professionals were specially trained and oriented to a popular style of journalism that in many ways changed the face of newspapers and the style of newspapering in Malayalam. Manorama introduced reader-friendly editorial packaging techniques and professional page designing under his guidance and consolidated its leadership in circulation in the regional market.
He served as the president of the Indian Newspaper Society; chairman of the Press Trust of India; founder-trustee and chairman of the Press Institute of India and Research Institute for Newspaper Development; executive committee member of the Federation of International Newspaper Publishers and Editors based in France and a consultant to the International Press Institute.
Mr. Mathew has written two books, Ettamathe Mothiram (The Eighth Ring), an autobiography, and Annamma, in memory of his late wife who made a name for herself with a range of cookery books.
Awards
In 1988 he received Padma Bhushan. He has received many other awards including Foundation of Freedom of Information Award (1991), National Citizen’s award (1992), Ramakrishna Jay Dayal award (1995), Durga Prasad Chaudhary award (1996) and B D Goenka Award (1996).