Veteran journalist Bhaskar Menon dead

His passing marks the end of an era, says colleague.

Veteran journalist Bhaskar Menon died here on Sunday following cardiac arrest, his family said.

The 87-year-old Menon, who retired as the Regional Manager (South) of the Press Trust of India here, is survived by wife and son.

Editor-in-Chief of

PTI Vijay Joshi said, “Bhaskar’s passing marks the end of an era, an era of gentlemen journalists. He cared deeply about the turn of a phrase, the right word, the rules of good writing. He mentored countless journalists in

PTI , rebuking them with his twinkle-eyed humour for transgressions, and praising them wholeheartedly for a well crafted edit,” Mr. Joshi said.

Mr. Menon will be missed sorely by his PTI family, he added.

The veteran had joined the news agency as a sub-Editor and rose through the ranks before retiring as the head of its regional bureau.

Mr. Menon was known for his command over the English language and sharp editing skills and always insisted on speed and accuracy.

He had handled several important developments, including the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in May, 1991.