War or peace journalism? Asian newspaper coverage of conflicts

ST Lee, CC Maslog - Journal of communication, 2005 - academic.oup.com
ST Lee, CC Maslog
Journal of communication, 2005academic.oup.com
This study examines the extent to which four Asian regional conflicts involving India,
Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and the Philippines are framed as war journalism or peace
journalism based on Johan Galtung's classification. A content analysis of 1,338 stories from
10 newspapers suggests that, overall, the news coverage of these conflicts is dominated by
a war journalism frame. The Indian and Pakistani coverage of the Kashmir issue shows the
strongest war journalism framing whereas the coverage of the Tamil Tiger movement and …
Abstract
This study examines the extent to which four Asian regional conflicts involving India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and the Philippines are framed as war journalism or peace journalism based on Johan Galtung's classification. A content analysis of 1,338 stories from 10 newspapers suggests that, overall, the news coverage of these conflicts is dominated by a war journalism frame. The Indian and Pakistani coverage of the Kashmir issue shows the strongest war journalism framing whereas the coverage of the Tamil Tiger movement and the Mindanao conflict by the Sri Lankan and the Philippine newspapers reveals a more promising peace journalism framing. The three most salient indicators of peace journalism are the avoidance of demonizing language, a nonpartisan approach, and a multiparty orientation. The war journalism frame is supported by a focus on the here and now, an elite orientation, and a dichotomy of good and bad.
Oxford University Press