AmieLearmonth67 at 23:30, 22 February 2026

2026-02-22T23:30:21Z

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{{short description|Indian journalist and politician (born 1966)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific_suffix =
| image = John Brittas MP.jpg
| image_size = 250px
| caption = Brittas
| office = [[Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha]]
| term_start = 8 June 2021
| predecessor = [[K. K. Ragesh]]
| constituency = [[List of Rajya Sabha members from Kerala|Kerala]]
| module = {{Infobox person
| embed = yes
| name = John Brittas
| other_names = '''Brittas'''
| party = [[Communist Party of India (Marxist)]]
| caption = John Brittas MP 2022 at Kollam
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1966|5|15|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Kannur]], [[Kerala]], [[India]]
| alma_mater = {{Ubl
| [[Sir Syed College (Taliparamba)]], [[Kannur]] ([[Pre-University course|pre-degree]])
| Payyanur College, [[Kannur]], ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])
| [[Sree Kerala Varma College]], [[Thrissur]]<br/> ([[Master of Arts|MA]]) in [[Political Sciences]]<br/>[[Jawaharlal Nehru University]] ([[PhD]])
}}
| occupation = [[Journalist]]
| known_for = Managing Director of [[Kairali TV]] and former Business head of Asianet Communications
Member of [[Rajya Sabha]]
| television =
[[Asianet (TV channel)|Asianet]]<br/>
[[Kairali TV]]
| spouse = '''Sheeba'''
| children = 2
| website = {{URL|Brittas.in}}
}}
}}

'''John Brittas''', is an Indian politician, journalist, and managing director and chief editor of Malayalam Communications Ltd., which owns the entertainment channel [[Kairali TV]] and the news channel Kairali News.{{citation needed|date=June 2025}} He is also the former Business Head of another entertainment channel in South India, [[Asianet (TV channel)]]. He is a parliamentarian who has represented the [[Communist Party of India (Marxist)]] in the upper house of the Indian Parliament since June 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|title=John Brittas, MV Sivadasan, others take oath as Rajya Sabha members|url=https://keralakaumudi.com/en/news/news.php?id=567065&u=|access-date=2021-06-09|website=keralakaumudi.com}}</ref> He was one of the advisors to the Chief Minister of Kerala, Shri [[Pinarayi Vijayan]] from 2016 till 2021. He is currently the [[Communist Party of India (Marxist)|CPI(M)]] deputy parliamentary party leader in [[Rajya Sabha]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=ഡെസ്‌ക് |first=വെബ് |title=ബികാഷ് രഞ്ജന്‍ ഭട്ടാചാര്യ രാജ്യസഭയിലെ സി പി എം കക്ഷി നേതാവ് |url=https://www.sirajlive.com/bikash-ranjan-bhattacharya-is-the-cpm-party-leader-in-the-rajya-sabha.html?s |access-date=2024-07-03 |website=Siraj Daily |language=ml}}</ref>

He has been a member of the Parliamentary Consultative Committee for the [[Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology]] since October 2024 and member of the Parliamentary Committee on [[Ministry of External Affairs (India)]] since September 2024.<ref>{{cite web |title=Member's Bio-Profile, Dr. John Brittas |url=https://sansad.in/rs/members/biography/2498 |publisher=Rajya Sabha, Parliament of India |access-date=February 14, 2025}}</ref> According to Indian parliamentary data by [[PRS Legislative Research]], Dr. John Brittas is one of the most active members in parliamentary debates and discussions, having participated in 889 debates—nearly ten times the national average of 90.3 and significantly higher than the state average of 336.2. With a 94% attendance record, 375 questions raised (well above the national average of 168.52), and 16 [[Private Member’s Bill|Private Member’s Bills]] introduced (compared to the national average of 1.2), his engagement in legislative proceedings stands out among his peers.<ref>John Brittas, Parliamentary Activity, PRS Legislative Research, https://prsindia.org/mptrack/rajya-sabha/john-brittas Retrieved on February 14, 2025</ref>

==Early life and education==
John Brittas was born on 15 May 1966 at [[Naduvil and Kudianmala|Naduvil]], [[Kannur district]], Kerala to A. P. Paily and Annamma.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://sansad.in/rs/members/biography/2498 | title=Digital Sansad }}</ref> After primary education in a nearby school, he attended high school at Don Bosco Higher Secondary School, Mannuthy, [[Thrissur]]. He went to [[Sir Syed College, Taliparamba]] in [[Kannur]] for his pre-degree studies. He did his bachelor's degree in political science from Payyanur College, and master's degree in political science from [[Sree Kerala Varma College]], [[Thrissur]]. He also enrolled for his law degree at the [[Kerala Law Academy|Kerala Law Academy College]], [[Thiruvananthapuram]], from which he graduated with first rank. Brittas completed his Master of Philosophy (M Phil) in 1996 and doctorate in 2022 from the [[Jawaharlal Nehru University]], New Delhi.

Brittas was active in student politics during his college days and was one of the office bearers of the University Students Union.

==Career==

Though he had a flair for writing and was involved in literary activities during college, his entry into [[journalism]] was by chance. With the sole intention of securing a job, he applied for the post of sub-editor in ''[[Deshabhimani]]'', the mouthpiece journal of the [[Communist Party of India (Marxist)]], and was selected. A while later when he moved to [[New Delhi]] for higher studies, the newspaper transferred him to its Delhi office, letting him study and work simultaneously. In Delhi, he was first assigned to escort the then CPI(M) chief minister of [[Kerala]] to [[Punjab]] for a discussion with the leaders of the [[Akali Movement]], which was seeking independent statehood for Punjab. Brittas often credits the exposure he received in Delhi at a young age for his achievements. Arriving in Delhi at a time when the political stage of India was undergoing radical changes, he became a witness to many major changes that shaped the country's future both on the home front and in global geopolitics.

By the time [[Kairali TV]] was launching under '''Malayalam Communications Ltd''' by [[Communist Party of India (Marxist)]] in the year 2000, Brittas had become a seasoned media personality. He was an ideal choice to head the Delhi Bureau for Kairali TV. Brittas took it as an opportunity to try out the electronic media, after a long association with the print media. Upon heading the Delhi office for three years, he was elevated as the managing director of the channel and posted at its headquarters in [[Thiruvananthapuram]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://ww5.whataboutu.com/?&|title=whataboutu.com|website=ww5.whataboutu.com}}</ref>

After an eleven-year stint at Malayalam Communications Ltd., he moved to its competitor '''Asianet Communications Limited''' in 2011 as its Business Head.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://2011keralaelectionresults.blogspot.com/2011/05/john-brittasnow-asianet-ceo.html|title=John Brittas, Now Asianet CEO ~ KERALA NEWS|date=2 May 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=Kerala TV | website=Kerala TV | date=2020-04-06 | url=https://www.keralatv.in/ | access-date=2020-04-22}}</ref> He returned to [[Kairali TV]] almost two years later in February 2013.

At [[Kairali TV]] and [[Asianet (TV channel)]], he ran popular interview programmes, besides his other responsibilities, such as Question Time, Cross Fire, JB Junction (Kairali TV) and Nammal Thammil (Asianet) that have gained huge appreciation from the viewers. He now regularly contributes opinions and analyses on contemporary socio-political issues to various Indian media outlets. He has also authored many books in [[Malayalam]] such as Chillujalakakkootil, Innocent Samsarikunnu, Malayalathinte Manavikatha, Sthreeparvam and Marayillathe. He also acted in the lead role in Malayalam movie,''[[Vellivelichathil]]'' released in 2014, which received mixed reviews.<ref>{{cite news|title=At home in an alien land|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-fridayreview/at-home-in-an-alien-land/article6423846.ece|access-date=18 November 2014|work=The Hindu|date=19 September 2014}}</ref>

Brittas was the youngest journalist to secure the Central Hall pass in the Parliament. He has covered parliamentary proceedings for both Kairali TV and Desabhimani. He did first-hand reporting on the general elections between 1991 and 1999. He also covered the general elections in [[Nepal]] soon after the death of [[King Birendra of Nepal]]. He was one of the first Indian journalists to reach [[Baghdad]] soon after the launch of America's [[Iraq war]] in 2003. From the war-torn areas, he not only reported for his channel but also wrote for various Indian newspapers.

His maiden speech in the Rajya Sabha (Council of States) on the role of the judiciary and the appointment of judges in the [[Supreme Court of India]] and [[High Courts of India]] was praised by the Vice President of India and the chairman of Rajya Sabha [[Venkaiah Naidu]].<ref>{{Citation|title=ജോണ്‍ ബ്രിട്ടാസിന്‍റെ ക്രിയാത്മക വിമര്‍ശനത്തിന് അഭിനന്ദനവുമായി ഉപരാഷ്ട്രപതി {{!}} John Brittas|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XaYsq1wUAc|language=en|access-date=2022-01-19}}</ref>

==Awards and accolades==
He received the Journalism Educational Award from the Goenka Foundation for his research on "The Impact of Globalization in Print Media".

==Television==
;As Host
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XaYsq1wUAc]
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!year
! Program
! Channel
! Notes
|-
|2008-2010||Question Time||[[Kairali TV]]||
|-
|2010-2011||Cross fire||[[Kairali TV]]||
|-
|2012-2013||Nammal Thammil ||[[Asianet (TV channel)|Asianet]]||
|-
|2014–2020||J.B.junction||[[Kairali TV]]||
|-
|2018–2020||Njan Malayalee ||[[Kairali TV]]||
|-
|2021||Votography||[[Kairali TV]]||
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Brittas, John}}
[[Category:1966 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Writers from Kannur]]
[[Category:Indian opinion journalists]]
[[Category:Indian male television journalists]]
[[Category:Don Bosco schools alumni]]
[[Category:Malayalam-language journalists]]
[[Category:Journalists from Kerala]]
[[Category:Television personalities from Kerala]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian journalists]]
[[Category:Male actors from Kannur]]
[[Category:Rajya Sabha members from Kerala]]

John Brittas - Revision history

AmieLearmonth67 at 23:30, 22 February 2026