Kashmir Issue and Pak-Indian Press: Content Analysis of Leading Newspapers

KASHMIR ISSUE AND PAK-INDIAN PRESS: CONTENT ANALYSIS OF LEADING NEWSPAPERS Saqib Riaz, Babar Hussain Shah & Shakil Ahmad* Abstract Kashmir issue has been a major conflict between Pakistan and India for the last seven decades. It has been taken up by Media groups in both countries with their respective portrayals and defined frameworks. Out of these media sources, print media have played a major role in building a narrative and adding to public perception- making. This study explored the portrayal of Kashmir issue by the print media in Pakistan and India. The study examined the dominant frames for the Kashmir conflict, used by the leading Pakistani and Indian press– Dawn, The News, The Hindu and The Tribune– in their coverage during the year 2013 and 2018. Also, the study created an understanding of the patterns according to which the aforementioned press groups gave coverage to Kashmir issue, enhancing their respective stances on the issue. The study found that the Pakistani print media gave more coverage to the issue, used favorable frames for Kashmir issue and freedom movement, and neutral frames for freedom fighters, whereas, negative or unfavorable frames for all three subjects were used in Indian print media. Pakistani media highlighted the complex situation of the Kashmir issue – the reasons for the conflict and the will of Kashmiri people regarding the settlement of dispute between India and Pakistan. Within the selected time, the study found that the Pakistani media legitimized the freedom movement and framed it as ‘Kashmiri Freedom struggle’, ‘Kashmiri Freedom Movement’, and ‘Jihad’, whereas, in Indian print Media, Kashmiri freedom fighters were depicted as armed groups of militants fighting for secession of Kashmir from India. Key Words: Kashmir issue, Plebiscite, Print Media, Content Analysis, Public opinion Introduction n today’s global world, media has vital role in reporting the conflict of every Inature and intensity. The public is often left with little or no choice but to rely on its accounts which may prove fatally misleading because the public has limited knowledge about the conflicts that are unfolding through media and press. Having said that, world is increasingly dominated by media, moving the world away from acceptance of objective reality to agenda-driven truth. Ideally, media’s role is to provide a conflict coverage which could attract serious concern from the international community. Reporting the conflict objectively as * Dr Saqib Riaz is Chairman / Associate Professor at Department of Mass Communication Allama Iqbal Open University Islamabad. Dr Babar Hussain Shah is Lecturer at Department of Mass Communication Allama Iqbal Open University Islamabad and Mr Shakil Ahmad is M.Phil Scholar at Allama Iqbal Open University Islamabad. ISSRA Papers Volume-X, Issue-II, 2018 54 SAQIB RIAZ, BABAR HUSSAIN SHAH & SHAKIL AHMAD humanly possible may appear challenging in the context of ongoing conflict because of political or other influences that frames the rhetoric of the message and people may not feel obliged to question these constructed messages which not only generate but nurtures the logic of violence and war. Moreover, power of the media’s coverage may prove stronger than the will of people and government, consequently, making the media and press as an actor which might complicate the attempts to resolve the conflict. This aspect also has generated considerable debates that should media stay detached from the horrific events unfolding or should it take up the stance and attach to the cause – even that of peace. The problem with practice of peace journalism within media is that it may involve in taking sides of the conflict, and the media becomes partial actor in conflict, consequently, its behavior has an effect on the way the conflict develops. Therefore, it is important to create queries on media’s role in constituting the public sphere of the society – how that can be nurtured in such a way as to allow non-violent resolution of conflict. A conflict coverage that is destructive, leading to no effective resolution and doesn’t allow any query about what conditions does news media on conflict coverage lead to destructive outcomes, is an implication of failure to facilitate the process of conflict management. Such aspect is present in various media coverage of conflicts in the contemporary world that are intractable and protracted in nature. And amongst all, it can be found in South Asia’s decades old ‘Kashmir conflict’ which originated with the exit of British from subcontinent in 1947. The conflict of Kashmir simmers between two neighbors, India and Pakistan, both the countries have fought wars where the Kashmir issue has been igniting factor and thus, keeping both the states in a constant state of enmity. South Asian media and press on Kashmir conflict is based on different agenda settings that are void of objective representation of conflict, thus inviting for political narratives. Indians and Pakistanis tend to structure their pattern of thinking about each other through the narrative endorsed by media and press. Most importantly, media reports of both countries on Kashmir conflict significantly shape the perception of common people in both countries by providing the coverage from different angles. Pakistani media, with the help of local press and media of Kashmir, presents killings and sufferings of Kashmiri people such as human rights abuses, casualties and migrations within and beyond the valley. Most importantly, Pakistani media precisely calls the attention of international community. Whereas, Indian media reports and narrates the situation with partial approach, consequently, true picture of Kashmir is largely untold thus creating the ideological divide between Kashmir and India. Such practices in conflict coverage have contributed to the growing sense of alienation among Kashmiris. Instead of questioning militarization, extremism and pro-freedom sentiments, Indian national media covers Kashmir issue purely as security issue, by following government’s security-centric line ISSRA Papers Volume-X, Issue-II, 2018 KASHMIR ISSUE AND PAK-INDIAN PRESS 55 that Kashmir is an integral part of India; the unrest is caused by so-called Pakistani sponsored militants. All in all, the biases and prejudices in Indian media and press are the root cause of being the biggest escalator in Kashmir conflict. It is also pertinent to note here that Kashmir conflict and other issues are not only dealt through diplomatic talks, but also contested by communicating in a particular manner to strengthen the respective stance. Mass media significantly affects the public opinion as well as the patterns of thinking with the help of dominant frames which covers the ongoing conflicts and events. Theories of agenda setting and framing, embody these effects of mass media.1 The theory of framing applies to different stages of the mass communication process.2 Keeping in view the past research in communication studies, it can be inferred that media may set the public agenda about certain issues, by influencing public opinion.3 Since media communicates specific information in its frame, the perception of the audience is developed accordingly. Likewise, the readers develop their perception about Kashmir in the light of media frames through which they have been communicated. Frames are of vital importance in shaping public opinion in desired direction. Framing of Kashmir Issue Framing by media has a pivotal role in changing the minds of people. Ray Durga has conducted research on Frames in the US print media coverage of the Kashmir conflict. The study conducted by him focuses on coverage of the issue by the US media. The study concludes that all the dominant frames in the study elaborate the conflict in terms of war; which might provoke potentially nuclear war. The study reveales that Indians, Pakistanis and Kashmiris are mostly characterized with their religious identities – Indians as Hindus, and Pakistanis and Kashmiris as Muslims, which is a potential source of identity politics and the resulting crisis.4 The case of Kashmir has been poorly presented by Indian Media, which in other terms, is the distortion of realities to preserve their national interests. Hackett is of the view that the State exerts a field force over media representations of public affairs.5 This statement by Hackett is true and it supports the research, which implies Indian media has supported the narrative of Indian State. This study has attempted to identify and analyze the terms that have been used by the Pakistani and Indian print media to describe the conflict and subsequently the frames and slants used for the actors involved in Kashmir issue. ISSRA Papers Volume-X, Issue-II, 2018 56 SAQIB RIAZ, BABAR HUSSAIN SHAH & SHAKIL AHMAD Keeping in view the current situation of Kashmir issue, bilateral peace talks, back-door diplomacy, the importance of the media in highlighting Kashmir issue and also formulating public opinion on the said issue, the present study is designed to explore the extent to which Pakistani and Indian print media have been framing and highlighting Kashmir issue. In modern sense of Political diplomacy, the issues are contested through a propagation of particular narrative - the information warfare. In this context, it is the need of the hour to identify how Indian and Pakistani press groups present the case of Kashmir with all its originality, with the intentions to bring a peaceful resolution. How does the genuine Humanitarian crisis in Kashmir get coverage from Pakistani and Indian Print Media and what differences lie if comparative analysis of the said Press groups is considered? By analyzing the content usage of Kashmir conflict in the print media of both the countries, and the study of frames over a period of two different years, this study helps in promoting a deeper understanding of how the Kashmir problem is portrayed in the English press. The study also unveils the journalistic approaches in which Print Media of these two countries cover Kashmir issue and identify their seriousness about the cause.

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