Covid curbs continue to restrict press access to parliament. What’s at stake?

Over the last four years, several journalist bodies and opposition parties have been demanding that media persons be allowed to cover parliamentary proceedings. 

The restrictions imposed on media access to the House during the Covid-19 pandemic have not yet been completely lifted. Journalists said that at present, access is granted in an “arbitrary” manner and only to a few.

Newslaundry spoke to reporters, representatives of journalist bodies, and MPs to understand what is at stake. 

Officials of the Press Club of India said that the restriction “obstructs the democratic exchange of ideas, limits public discourse, and weakens accountability and transparency of the parliamentary system”. Meanwhile, Congress leader Manickam Tagore said that the “continued enforcement of these restrictions is adversely impacting the free and fair coverage of parliamentary proceedings”.

Watch. 

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