A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE ROLE PERCEPTIONS AND JOURNALISTIC PRACTICES OF WAR REPORTERS IN INDIA AND THE UNITED KINGDOM, COVERING CONFLICTS BETWEEN 1998 AND 2003

This thesis presents a comparative exploration of the role perceptions and journalistic practices of war reporters working in India and the UK – covering wars between 1998 and 2003. Adopting field theory and boundary maintenance as analytical tools, it explores how reporters in Indian and the UK enforce their self-perceived identity criteria and occupational practices within the field of war reporting. The thesis traces their normative ideas, cognitive orientations, professional practices and narrated performances. The theoretical framework is developed around concepts of role perception, journalistic neutrality, the social construction of reality and models of news media performance.