Reporting an ‘enemy’: Role conception and influences on Pakistani journalists covering India

The India–Pakistan relationship has traditionally been portrayed in the media in a jingoistic tone, closely aligned with a war-oriented perspective. This study examined the factors that influence Pakistani journalists and shape their coverage of the contentious relations with their arch-rival, India. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with fifteen journalists, editors and resident editors from three leading Pakistani newspapers: Jang , The News International , and Dawn . Pakistani journalists tend to see themselves as detached observers and watchdogs. Routine factors are very important, whereas individual factors seem to have little influence on Pakistani journalists. They also denied feeling pressure from the state and the military establishment, but reported practising self-censorship to avoid conflicts with government policies. Limited resources, lack of direct access to information, editorial policies and the presence of both external censorship and self-censorship were identified as significant factors shaping news content. These influences collectively shape the content produced by these journalists, often resulting in a war-oriented approach.