Media conformity with foreign policy in India and Pakistan: Frame analysis of Baluchistan separatists movement and Khalistan movement

Abstract

India and Pakistan are indulged in multiple mutual disputes which motivates their respective Medias to frame certain conflicts according to their ongoing foreign policies. This research focuses on conflict framing in India and Pakistan’s print media coverage of Baluchistan separatists movement (in Pakistan) and Khalistan movement (in India) to analyze the cross border framing trends on both sides. This study aims at identifying the counter narrative framing of rival country’s internal conflict through framing and media’s conformity with the foreign policies of their respective governments. Content of the 3439 news stories from four English dailies; Times of India, The Hindu from India and Dawn and The Nation from Pakistan, during the rule of rightwing political parties (2014-2018) in India and Pakistan; PJP and PML-N, was analyzed through ‘conflict frame’. The researcher found that both sides adopted counter coverage approach in covering the Baluchistan separatist movement and Khalistan movement. If Pakistani media gives coverage of Khalistan movement in Indian Punjab, the Indian media, on the other hand, counter the coverage by plying-up the news of Baluchistan separatists movements in Pakistan and vice versa. The study concludes that both countries’ rightwing political parties targeted the sensitive internal conflicts and built propaganda in counter coverage.