Framing the Kancha Gachibowli Land Dispute: A Comparative Analysis of environmental and institutional narratives in Telangana Based English Digital News Platforms.

This study investigates the digital media framing of the Kancha Gachibowli land dispute, a contentious issue involving environmental concerns, student protests, and institutional land claims in Hyderabad, Telangana. Drawing from a dataset of 137 news articles published between March and May 2025 across three leading English-language digital news platforms Telangana Today, The Hans India, and Deccan Chronicle, this paper employs framing theory and sentiment analysis to examine how the dispute has been represented in the public domain. The analysis identifies six dominant frames: Legal, Environmental, Protest/Student Activism, Government/Political, Developmental, and Uncategorized. Among these, legal and environmental frames emerged as the most frequent, with a significant emphasis on institutional narratives and ecological concerns. Sentiment analysis reveals a clear predominance of positive tones, particularly in articles aligned with legal justification and government responses, while protest-related coverage shows a more mixed sentiment. The study highlights how local digital journalism mediates complex land-related issues through selective narrative lenses, shaping public perception and institutional accountability in a rapidly urbanizing context.