Framing of Nepal’s Constitution: How Indian and Nepali National Media Covered the Controversy Surrounding the Ratification of Nepal’s Constitution in 2015

This study investigates the framing of the ratification of the Nepali Constitution and the disagreement it raised in newspaper articles published in two countries, Nepal and India, for six months. Using framing analysis, this study compares the way in which Indian and Nepali newspapers differed in terms of frames, tone, and news sources while covering the ratification of Nepal’s constitution and the conflict raised after that in the form of an economic blockade (embargo). The content analysis reveals significant differences in the conflict frames between the two countries’ newspapers. Newspapers differed also in how they presented the stories, as Indian newspapers used an anti-constitution tone, while Nepali stories were more likely to use a proconstitution tone. And both countries heavily relied on their official sources for the news.