The veteran journalist and Rajya Sabha MP from Kerala also talks about the Pegasus snooping scandal and his speech about the lack of representation in the judiciary.
John Brittas is a Rajya Sabha MP from Kerala, representing the Communist Party of India Marxist. A journalist of 30 years, he is managing director of Kairali TV and has previously served as the media advisor to Kerala’s chief minister.
In this interview with Tanishka Sodhi, Brittas talks about the growing disconnect between the news media and the parliament, whether frequent protests by MPs affect the parliament’s productivity, why journalists becoming apolitical is a problem.
“The parliament I used to cover as a journalist in the late ’80s and ’90s has undergone drastic changes,” he says. “It’s a pale shadow of the parliament that used to be there. If you look up to the galleries now, you’ll feel like mourning for the media. Hardly anyone is there. The very purpose of the fourth pillar is in question.”
“There was a perfect sync between the media and the parliament. Now, a mass disconnect has happened,” he adds.
Brittas also explains why he petitioned the Supreme Court for an inquiry into the Pegasus snooping scandal, his maiden Rajya Sabha speech about the lack of representation in the judiciary that caused a stir, and why he’s dissatisfied with some of the government’s answers to questions he raised in the parliament.
Watch.
The media must be free and fair, uninfluenced by corporate or state interests. That's why you, the public, need to pay to keep news free.
ContributeGeneral elections are around the corner, and Newslaundry and The News Minute have ambitious plans together to focus on the issues that really matter to the voter. From political funding to battleground states, media coverage to 10 years of Modi, choose a project you would like to support and power our journalism.
Ground reportage is central to public interest journalism. Only readers like you can make it possible. Will you?