Constructing war in news: Discursive logics of the Pahalgam crisis in the Indian and Pakistani press

Abstract

This article investigates how Indian and Pakistani newspapers mediated the April–May 2025 Pahalgam crisis. Using computational text analysis of 5,972 war and conflict-related news articles concerning the issue, published during the period from the 22 April incident through the 10 May ceasefire, the study tests three hypotheses on attribution, treaty securitization, and the emotional framing of kinetic action. First, it was expected that Indian outlets would emphasize accusations more than evidence, while Pakistani outlets would stress denial and demands for proof. Second, coverage of the Indus Waters Treaty was anticipated to illustrate securitization, with Indian press framing suspension as punitive strength and Pakistani press emphasizing coercion and humanitarian risk. Third, during the 7–10 May kinetic exchange, Indian outlets were expected to merge anger and pride, while Pakistani outlets would highlight fear and victimhood. The results largely confirm the first two hypotheses, while the third reveals an inversion of expected patterns. These findings extend scholarship on the mediatization of war by specifying how legitimacy, treaties, and emotions are discursively constructed in Indian and Pakistani press narratives. The implications for theoretical, practical, and methodological debates are also discussed.