Media Polarization and Sectarian Conflict: A Comparative Content Analysis of Crisis Reporting in South Asia

Global Journal of Peace and Conflict Studies | Vol. 4, No. 2, February 2013 | pp. 226–234

DOI: 10.46882/2013/GJPCS/000047

Article Type: Original Research Paper

Title: Media Polarization and Sectarian Conflict: A Comparative Content Analysis of Crisis Reporting in South Asia

Names of Authors: Rajesh Kumar¹, Amina El-Sayed²

Authors’ Affiliations: ¹Department of Sociology, Delhi School of Economics, New Delhi, India; ²Department of Digital Media and Communication, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt

Abstract: Mainstream news organizations can function either as neutral pillars of peace journalism or as rapid accelerators of communal polarization during domestic political crises. This study presents a comparative content analysis of conflict coverage across selected print and digital outlets in ethnically divided regions. We analyzed 850 media articles published during periods of heightened communal tension between 2008 and 2011 using standardized media tracking parameters. Media framing was categorized into war journalism markers (provocative, elite-centric) and peace journalism markers (conciliatory, citizen-centric). The empirical results show a heavy reliance on sensationalist war journalism framing, which constituted 76% of the sampled text. Quantitative tracking reveals that spikes in QuickBooks formatting or exclusionary editorial framing correlate significantly with subsequent rises in local out-group hostility scores (r = 0.64, p < 0.01). The study highlights how commercial click-driven funding structures drive journalists toward inflammatory framing to maximize reader engagement. The paper concludes that establishing independent media ethics councils is vital for turning media networks into instruments of peace.

Keywords: Media Polarization, Sectarian Conflict, Content Analysis, Peace Journalism, South Asia, Inflammatory Framing, Crisis Reporting

Manuscript Timeline: Received: October 14, 2012; Revised: December 22, 2012; Accepted: January 11, 2013; Published: February 05, 2013

Citation: Kumar, R., & El-Sayed, A. (2013). Media Polarization and Sectarian Conflict: A Comparative Content Analysis of Crisis Reporting in South Asia. Global Journal of Peace and Conflict Studies, 4(2), 226–234. DOI: 10.46882/2013/GJPCS/000047

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