Eminent journalist and former Press Academy chairman Potturi Venkateswara Rao (86) died of cancer at his residence in Hyderabad on Thursday.
A native of Potturu village in Guntur district, Venkateswara Rao was the forerunner of quality Telugu journalism and had left his imprint in the newspapers he had worked in. In his five-decade-long career, Venkateswara Rao had worked in Eenadu, Andhra Bhoomi, Vaartha and Andhra Prabha. Between 2004 and 2010, he often found time to give guest lectures to students of Journalism and Mass Communications at Acharya Nagarjuna University. Beginning his career at Andhra Janata in 1957, Venkateswara Rao went on to become the Editor of Andhra Prabha.
He has authored and co-authored books, including the one on former Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao, titled ‘Years of Power’.
Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy expressed his deep condolences over the demise of Venkateswara Rao. In a release on Thursday, he commended the services rendered by Venkateswara Rao to the field of Telugu journalism. He conveyed his heartfelt condolences to members of the bereaved family.
I lost a friend: Naidu
Expressing his condolences, former Chief Minister and TDP national president N. Chandrababu Naidu said the services rendered by the senior journalist were commendable. He was first among the journalists who strived for values in journalism and was a guiding lamp for all the journalists. His demise was an immense loss to both Telugu States. Personally, I lost a close friend, he added.
