MALAYALAM NEWSPAPERS

Year Newspaper Location Founder/Editor(s) Notable Trivia /

Contribution
1847 Rajyasamacharam Thalassery Herman Gundert First Malayalam
(Illikkunnu) Basel Evangelical newspaper; promoted
Mission Christianity; used
cyclostyle; 42 editions;
free; no editor named
1847 Paschimodayam Thalassery Herman Gundert, Editor: First science magazine;
John Frederic Muller, discussed astrology,
Basel Evangelical geography, and promoted
Mission Christianity
1848 Njananikshepam Kottayam (CMS Rev. George Maathan, First in Travancore;
Press) Archdeacon Koshi included news with
images; published literary
works; promoted
Christianity
1860 Western Star Kochi Barrister GP Pillai used to First English Newspaper
write articles, pen name in Kerala, first newspaper
to criticize the Travancore
government
1864 Pashchima Tharaka Kochi Kalloor Oommen First Malayali Editor, first
Philipose newspaper to publish daily
news
1867 Santhishtavadi Kottayam W.H. Moore First Newspaper to be
banned in Kerala
1881 Keralamitra Kochi Devji Bheemji was the First Daily “News”
founder, Kandathil Newspaper
Varghese Mappila was the
first editor
1884 Keralapatrika also Kozhikode Chenkulath Kunjirama CK Menon is called father
called Nair Paper Menon, founder editor of Malayalam Journalism.
Inspired by Amrit Bazar
Patrika
1886 Malayalee Trivandrum C.V. Raman Pillai First regional paper;
promoted Malayali
Memorial 1891; slogan
"Travancore for
Travancorians"
1887 Deepika (Nasrani) Mannanam, Nidheerikkal Mani First Christian community
Became daily in Kottayam (1938) Kathanar paper; oldest still-
1927 running paper; first
internet edition in Kerala
1890 Malayala Manorama Kottayam Kandathil Varghese Largest circulating
Mappila Malayalam newspaper
today
1892 Bhashaposhini Kottayam Kandathil Varghese Mouthpiece of
Mappila Bhashaposhini Sabha;
title: “Vidyadhanam
Sarvadhanal Pradhanam”
1904 Vivekodayam Trivandrum M. Govindan, later SNDP Yogam’s
Kumaranasan mouthpiece; known as
"Ezhava Gazette";
literary critiques included
1905 Swadeshabhimani Anjuthengu, Vakkom Abdul Khader Started publishing from
Trivandrum Moulavi; First Editor: C.P. Trivandrum in 1907
Govindapillai, then K. Criticized British, Diwan P.
Ramakrishna Pillai Rajagopalachari; banned
became editor in 1906 in 1910; editor exiled;
connected with Reuters
1906 Mithavadi Thalassery (later T. Sivashankar, Moorkoth Bible of Thiyyas;
Kozhikode) Kumaran, later C. supported Russian
Krishnan Revolution 1917;
published
Kumaranasan’s
"Veenapoovu"
1911 Kerala Kaumudi Mayyanad, Kollam C. V. Kunjiraman, Muloor Daily since 1940; began
Padmanabha Panicker due to suppression of
Sujananandini
1918 Samadarshi Kulakkunnath Supported Vaikom
Ramamenon; Editors: K. Satyagraha; faced
Janardhanamenon, A. censorship under 5th
Balakrishnapilla regulation law
1923 Mathrubhumi Kozhikode K. P. Kesava Menon; K. Pro-Congress, supported
Madhavan Nair (MD) national movement; visited
by Gandhiji in 1934
1924 Al Ameen Kozhikode Muhammed Abdul Banned in 1930 due to
Rahiman (Kerala Subhash anti-British editorial; later
Chandra Bose) revived post-
independence
1929 Yukthivadi Ernakulam / Sahodaran Ayyappan; First rationalist/atheist
Irinjalakuda Editor: M. C. Joseph paper in Malayalam
1930 Kesari Thiruvananthapuram A. Balakrishnapilla (Kesari Critic of Kochi/Travancore
Balakrishnapilla) politics; supported
Abstention Movement;
published literary critiques
1934 Prabhatham Shornur → Publisher: EMS Socialist mouthpiece;
Kozhikode (1938) Namboothirippad; banned for Bhagat Singh
Manager: R. Nedungadi tribute; later revived
1942 Deshabhimani Kozhikode AKG, EMS
1957 Kerala Janatha Trivandrum Pattom Thanu Pillai
1957 Pradeepam Kozhikode Theruvath Raman First evening paper in
Kerala

 First radio station in Kerala: Thiruvananthapuram: 1943 March 12, Sree Chithira Thirunal Balarama
Varma
 First radio station in India: Bombay: 1923
 1949 January 1: First Malayalam news broadcast from Delhi
 1950 April 1: All India Radio took over Travancore Radio Station
 1957 August 15: First Malayalam news broadcast from Kerala
 First FM Radio Station in Kerala: Kochi
 First Private FM in Kerala Radio Mango 91.9 (Malayalam Manorama)
 1982 August 15: Door Darshan broadcast started in Kerala
 1985 January 1: Door Darshan started Malayalam broadcasting