Kashmir Conflict and South Asian Elite Press: A Framing Analysis

Abstract

Using framing theory and discourse analysis, this study analyzed the editorials of elite English press of India and Pakistan regarding the Kashmir issue and the recent unrest and killings in the Indian -Held Kashmir. The study critically analyzed the mediated text to reveal the dominant frames used by elite newspapers of South Asia vis-à-vis the Kashmir conflict. The findings unveil that both the selected newspapers namely Dawn and The Hindu used different frames to conceptualize the Kashmir issue. The Hindu framed it as India’s internal law and order issue, while Dawn framed it as bilateral cum human rights issue having repercussions for regional peace. The study concludes that the elite press reproduced and reinforced the dominant narratives and closely followed the foreign policy discourse of their respective countries.