Deconstructing media narratives of the Indo-Pacific strategy: Exploring India’s ontological security and national identity in the Times of India
Abstract India’s attempt to forge a distinct role for itself in the global order started soon after independence in 1947. Since this watershed event, India’s policymakers have gradually recast their initial strategy of nonalignment, as they realized that Nehruvian “soft” power was not adequate for c...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Springer Nature
2023-06-01
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| Series: | Humanities & Social Sciences Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-023-01826-4 |
| _version_ | 1797806866564120576 |
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| author | Zhou Li Li Sheng |
| author_facet | Zhou Li Li Sheng |
| author_sort | Zhou Li |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract India’s attempt to forge a distinct role for itself in the global order started soon after independence in 1947. Since this watershed event, India’s policymakers have gradually recast their initial strategy of nonalignment, as they realized that Nehruvian “soft” power was not adequate for creating an especially dynamic presence in an increasingly volatile international environment. In response to this realization, India embarked on a journey of transforming its diplomatic benchmarks. In 2017, to counter China’s assertiveness across the region, India joined then-U.S. President Donald Trump’s advocacy in launching the Indo-Pacific strategy. Transforming the nation’s diplomatic benchmarks while maintaining a coherent narrative of national identity was the main challenge. This paper examines the role that media narratives play in maintaining that coherent national identity. To do so, we analyzed 47 reports by the Times of India (TOI) on the Indo-Pacific strategy in order to reveal how elite media strategically framed the nation’s regional policy, thereby ensuring its ontological security—its sense of continuity and order—while conveying its global aspirations. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T06:13:52Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b45a9190452a43688e236f451e56bb9f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2662-9992 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T06:13:52Z |
| publishDate | 2023-06-01 |
| publisher | Springer Nature |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Humanities & Social Sciences Communications |
| spelling | doaj.art-b45a9190452a43688e236f451e56bb9f2023-06-11T11:08:27ZengSpringer NatureHumanities & Social Sciences Communications2662-99922023-06-0110111010.1057/s41599-023-01826-4Deconstructing media narratives of the Indo-Pacific strategy: Exploring India’s ontological security and national identity in the Times of IndiaZhou Li0Li Sheng1School of Foreign Languages, Southwest Jiaotong UniversitySchool of Foreign Languages and Cultures, Chongqing UniversityAbstract India’s attempt to forge a distinct role for itself in the global order started soon after independence in 1947. Since this watershed event, India’s policymakers have gradually recast their initial strategy of nonalignment, as they realized that Nehruvian “soft” power was not adequate for creating an especially dynamic presence in an increasingly volatile international environment. In response to this realization, India embarked on a journey of transforming its diplomatic benchmarks. In 2017, to counter China’s assertiveness across the region, India joined then-U.S. President Donald Trump’s advocacy in launching the Indo-Pacific strategy. Transforming the nation’s diplomatic benchmarks while maintaining a coherent narrative of national identity was the main challenge. This paper examines the role that media narratives play in maintaining that coherent national identity. To do so, we analyzed 47 reports by the Times of India (TOI) on the Indo-Pacific strategy in order to reveal how elite media strategically framed the nation’s regional policy, thereby ensuring its ontological security—its sense of continuity and order—while conveying its global aspirations.https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-023-01826-4 |
| spellingShingle | Zhou Li Li Sheng Deconstructing media narratives of the Indo-Pacific strategy: Exploring India’s ontological security and national identity in the Times of India Humanities & Social Sciences Communications |
| title | Deconstructing media narratives of the Indo-Pacific strategy: Exploring India’s ontological security and national identity in the Times of India |
| title_full | Deconstructing media narratives of the Indo-Pacific strategy: Exploring India’s ontological security and national identity in the Times of India |
| title_fullStr | Deconstructing media narratives of the Indo-Pacific strategy: Exploring India’s ontological security and national identity in the Times of India |
| title_full_unstemmed | Deconstructing media narratives of the Indo-Pacific strategy: Exploring India’s ontological security and national identity in the Times of India |
| title_short | Deconstructing media narratives of the Indo-Pacific strategy: Exploring India’s ontological security and national identity in the Times of India |
| title_sort | deconstructing media narratives of the indo pacific strategy exploring india s ontological security and national identity in the times of india |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-023-01826-4 |
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