Prabhjot Sohal | Panjab University, Chandigarh India (original) (raw)

Papers by Prabhjot Sohal

Research paper thumbnail of Media Framing of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Health Issues and HPV Vaccine-Related Sentiment in English Language News Media in India (2015-2018)

International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications (IJSRP)

Research paper thumbnail of Reporting under fear and threats: the deadly cost of being a journalist in Pakistan and India

World of Media. Journal of Russian Media and Journalism Studies

The journalists’ right to perform their watchdog role and to do their routine jobs without fear o... more The journalists’ right to perform their watchdog role and to do their routine jobs without fear of being killed, kidnapped, harassed, and attacked is a topic of utmost importance for freedom of the media and freedom of expression. However, in the past decade, journalists’ killings across the globe indicate that journalism is no more a safe profession. Noticeably, the Asia-Pacific region is the third worst violator of media freedom in the world. While the level of media freedom and journalists’ safety is not better in the Middle East and the North African regions, the Asia-Pacific region stands out because it is home to the two of the top ten worst countries for journalists’ killings over the past 25 years, namely: Pakistan and India. Therefore, drawing on the system theory, this study aims to investigate the journalists’ lived experiences of diverse safety risks in Pakistan and India. To accomplish this aim, this study uses the qualitative methods of document reviews and in-depth in...

Research paper thumbnail of Shooting the Messenger, Slowly, but Surely

Advances in Media, Entertainment, and the Arts

India ranks 140th among 180 countries worldwide in the World Press Freedom Index (WPFI), accordin... more India ranks 140th among 180 countries worldwide in the World Press Freedom Index (WPFI), according to the 2019 report by Reporters Without Borders (RSF). In 2018, India was 138th in the same index and 136th in 2016. For the media of the world's largest democracy, this is disconcerting. The slide in the country's press freedom ranking is indicative of a complex and hostile social, political, and economic environment pushing at the boundaries of media that is struggling to perform independently as the fourth estate. This chapter takes a critical look at imminent threats to freedom of speech and expression faced by the Indian media in the contemporary situation. The first objective of the chapter is to identify diverse threats to the Indian media, specifically journalism. The second objective is to trace both immediate as well as distal factors that breed hostility towards the media, with a focus on press laws and constitutional provisions in India.

Research paper thumbnail of Reckoning With #MeToo and the Aftermath

Handbook of Research on Discrimination, Gender Disparity, and Safety Risks in Journalism

In 2017, following the #MeToo movement stirred by the public outing of Hollywood producer Harvey ... more In 2017, following the #MeToo movement stirred by the public outing of Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, the safety of women at the workplace became a prime agenda for international news media. Although far from being truly inclusive, the #MeToo movement rapidly spread to other parts of the world. Women of different nationalities, backgrounds, and race shared their stories of abuse and survival using the #MeToo hashtag and its variants. In 2018, women within the news media industry in India joined the movement and called out prominent editors, filmmakers, and artists on social media for perpetrating and abetting acts of sexual harassment and abuse against them. As an immediate result, several accused were made to resign from their organizations and dropped from prestigious public posts. However, a backlash to the movement followed soon after, most evidently in the form of victim-shaming and defamation lawsuits against women. Based on the theory of epistemic advantage, the study e...

Research paper thumbnail of Media Framing of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Health Issues and HPV Vaccine-Related Sentiment in English Language News Media in India (2015-2018

International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, 2020

India records a high incidence of Human Papillomavirus (HPV)-related infections and cancers, with... more India records a high incidence of Human Papillomavirus (HPV)-related infections and cancers, with cervical cancer being the second biggest cause of mortality among women with cancer in the country. Immunization against the high-risk HPV serotypes can efficiently prevent related diseases. The HPV vaccine was recommended to be added to the Universal Immunization Program (UIP) of India by the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI) in 2017. However, following a controversial vaccine trial in 2009 and a pending decision on a related legal case, the Government of India has refrained from including the vaccine in the UIP. This study is an analysis of the media coverage of HPV-related issues and HPV vaccine-related sentiment in English language news media in India from 2015 to 2018. The sampled news media for the study include four national daily newspapers, The Hindu, The Times of India, The Indian Express and Hindustan Times; and two Indian news websites, The Wire and Scroll.in. Results based on the sentiment analysis of the media coverage reveal a predominantly positive sentiment towards the HPV vaccine with a marginal presence of thematically framed negative and contested opinion against the vaccine. The analysis of media framing of the issue reveals a prevalence of authoritative frames devoid of exemplification, and extensive use of behavioral determinants of health to establish responsibility in HPV-related health status.

Research paper thumbnail of Media Framing of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Health Issues and HPV Vaccine-Related Sentiment in English Language News Media in India (2015-2018)

International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications (IJSRP)

Research paper thumbnail of Reporting under fear and threats: the deadly cost of being a journalist in Pakistan and India

World of Media. Journal of Russian Media and Journalism Studies

The journalists’ right to perform their watchdog role and to do their routine jobs without fear o... more The journalists’ right to perform their watchdog role and to do their routine jobs without fear of being killed, kidnapped, harassed, and attacked is a topic of utmost importance for freedom of the media and freedom of expression. However, in the past decade, journalists’ killings across the globe indicate that journalism is no more a safe profession. Noticeably, the Asia-Pacific region is the third worst violator of media freedom in the world. While the level of media freedom and journalists’ safety is not better in the Middle East and the North African regions, the Asia-Pacific region stands out because it is home to the two of the top ten worst countries for journalists’ killings over the past 25 years, namely: Pakistan and India. Therefore, drawing on the system theory, this study aims to investigate the journalists’ lived experiences of diverse safety risks in Pakistan and India. To accomplish this aim, this study uses the qualitative methods of document reviews and in-depth in...

Research paper thumbnail of Shooting the Messenger, Slowly, but Surely

Advances in Media, Entertainment, and the Arts

India ranks 140th among 180 countries worldwide in the World Press Freedom Index (WPFI), accordin... more India ranks 140th among 180 countries worldwide in the World Press Freedom Index (WPFI), according to the 2019 report by Reporters Without Borders (RSF). In 2018, India was 138th in the same index and 136th in 2016. For the media of the world's largest democracy, this is disconcerting. The slide in the country's press freedom ranking is indicative of a complex and hostile social, political, and economic environment pushing at the boundaries of media that is struggling to perform independently as the fourth estate. This chapter takes a critical look at imminent threats to freedom of speech and expression faced by the Indian media in the contemporary situation. The first objective of the chapter is to identify diverse threats to the Indian media, specifically journalism. The second objective is to trace both immediate as well as distal factors that breed hostility towards the media, with a focus on press laws and constitutional provisions in India.

Research paper thumbnail of Reckoning With #MeToo and the Aftermath

Handbook of Research on Discrimination, Gender Disparity, and Safety Risks in Journalism

In 2017, following the #MeToo movement stirred by the public outing of Hollywood producer Harvey ... more In 2017, following the #MeToo movement stirred by the public outing of Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, the safety of women at the workplace became a prime agenda for international news media. Although far from being truly inclusive, the #MeToo movement rapidly spread to other parts of the world. Women of different nationalities, backgrounds, and race shared their stories of abuse and survival using the #MeToo hashtag and its variants. In 2018, women within the news media industry in India joined the movement and called out prominent editors, filmmakers, and artists on social media for perpetrating and abetting acts of sexual harassment and abuse against them. As an immediate result, several accused were made to resign from their organizations and dropped from prestigious public posts. However, a backlash to the movement followed soon after, most evidently in the form of victim-shaming and defamation lawsuits against women. Based on the theory of epistemic advantage, the study e...

Research paper thumbnail of Media Framing of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Health Issues and HPV Vaccine-Related Sentiment in English Language News Media in India (2015-2018

International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, 2020

India records a high incidence of Human Papillomavirus (HPV)-related infections and cancers, with... more India records a high incidence of Human Papillomavirus (HPV)-related infections and cancers, with cervical cancer being the second biggest cause of mortality among women with cancer in the country. Immunization against the high-risk HPV serotypes can efficiently prevent related diseases. The HPV vaccine was recommended to be added to the Universal Immunization Program (UIP) of India by the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI) in 2017. However, following a controversial vaccine trial in 2009 and a pending decision on a related legal case, the Government of India has refrained from including the vaccine in the UIP. This study is an analysis of the media coverage of HPV-related issues and HPV vaccine-related sentiment in English language news media in India from 2015 to 2018. The sampled news media for the study include four national daily newspapers, The Hindu, The Times of India, The Indian Express and Hindustan Times; and two Indian news websites, The Wire and Scroll.in. Results based on the sentiment analysis of the media coverage reveal a predominantly positive sentiment towards the HPV vaccine with a marginal presence of thematically framed negative and contested opinion against the vaccine. The analysis of media framing of the issue reveals a prevalence of authoritative frames devoid of exemplification, and extensive use of behavioral determinants of health to establish responsibility in HPV-related health status.