Opium of the Media? The Evolving Role of Religion in Western News Coverage of the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict

Abstract

The debate surrounding the religious dimension of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is practically as old as the conflict itself. Despite credible historical evidence that religious differences are not a causal factor of the war between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Western media coverage of the region has frequently relied on a ‘Christians vs Muslims’ framing. This article examines the origins of this media narrative, arguing that it stems primarily from a combination of concerted efforts by the Armenian diaspora to describe the conflict in religious terms, as well as a reductive Western perspective of the South Caucasus region. Then, leveraging a large dataset of English-language news articles dating back to 1988, I trace the evolution of Nagorno-Karabakh coverage and find that the emphasis on religion has generally decreased over time. I conclude by specifically examining journalism on the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War and demonstrating that an outlet’s choice to highlight religion is often a function of its political affiliation.