Reporting Kashmir: Sourcing Pattern in National and Regional Press

Journalists serve as mediators of reality, shaping the narrative surrounding various issues and events. Oftentimes, conflicting interests and perspectives become intertwined with the reporting process, leading to divergent interpretations (Ting Lee & C. Maslog, 2005, Fowler, Roger, 1991)). The Kashmir conflict provides a noteworthy case that contributes to the ongoing discourse on the media's impartiality, objectivity, and fairness in reporting conflicts. This study examines the news sourcing practices employed by national and regional newspapers when reporting Kashmir conflict. Specifically, the study focuses on the coverage of the Times of India, The Hindu- two national newspapers and Greater Kashmir, and Rising Kashmir - two regional newspapers from Kashmir, with an emphasis on their portrayal of the killing of Burhan Wani - a young militant leader- and its aftermath in 2016. Employing Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) as the primary research methodology, this investigation delves into the sourcing patterns utilized by these newspapers. The findings of this study uncover noteworthy disparities between national and regional newspapers regarding the prioritization and utilization of sources for news collection. While national newspapers appear to assign greater importance to official sources that offer a favorable perspective on New Delhi's Kashmir policy, exhibiting a lack of critical evaluation, regional newspapers from Kashmir predominantly rely on the viewpoints of local residents and non-official actors, reflecting a greater sensitivity to the local context and divergent perspectives surrounding the conflict.

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