A recent report appears on the JournalismPakistan “Why Pakistan Lags as Foreign Broadcasters Choose India” highlights a stark reality: global media giants are increasingly committing resources to India while overlooking Pakistan. The article argues that India’s large English-speaking market, flexible media regulations, and strategic global relevance make it an attractive base for foreign broadcasters such as CNN, Bloomberg, or RT. Pakistan, conversely, suffers from a limited English audience, unstable policy direction, and a lack of long-term investment strategies in media outreach.
But this economic-regulatory narrative only tells part of the story. To truly understand the India-Pakistan media contrast, we must dig deeper into structural, political, cultural, and historical dimensions shaping both countries’ media ecosystems.
1. Market Size and Economic Viability
India: Attractive and Scalable
India, with its vast urban population, growing middle class, increasing English literacy, and rapid digital adoption, offers a scalable market for international news and content providers. India’s English-language audience appeals to global broadcasters seeking advertising revenue and regional influence. The JournalismPakistan article highlights India’s “large English-speaking urban population” and steady ad revenues that support international media growth.
Pakistan: Limited English Audience, Limited Scale
Pakistan’s English-speaking demographic is comparatively small, and attempts at English-focused news channels have struggled to sustain viewership. While Pakistan’s Urdu content performs strongly within the domestic market, it fails to penetrate the global English-language media ecosystem where narrative control matters most.
2. Regulatory Environment and Political Risk
India: Flexibility With Caution
Compared to many developing countries, India offers relatively accessible entry points for foreign broadcasters through partnerships, licensing windows, and scalable distribution opportunities. This flexibility — paired with India’s geopolitical stature — makes New Delhi a preferred “South Asia hub.”
However, India’s media ecosystem is not free from political influence or sensationalism. During times of conflict or political pressure, Indian news channels frequently adopt hyper-nationalist tones, blurring the line between journalism and political theatre.
Pakistan: Unstable Policy and Risk Environment
Pakistan’s regulatory climate is often unpredictable. Policies shift frequently, and authorities sometimes focus more on short-term licensing revenue than on cultivating long-term international media partnerships.
In addition, Pakistan’s media environment is shaped by security challenges, political pressures, and restrictions that limit freedom of expression. Journalists frequently face harassment or threats, which undermines confidence for foreign broadcasters considering long-term investment in Pakistan.
3. English Narrative Battles and Soft Power
India’s Global Narrative Strategy
India has strategically positioned itself as a global soft-power actor through its large diaspora, cultural industries, and English-language news presence. Outlets such as WION and Firstpost aim directly at international audiences, shaping global perceptions of India and South Asia.
Despite this, Indian media is often criticised for sensationalism, particularly during India-Pakistan tensions, where many channels adopt aggressive or nationalistic rhetoric. Nevertheless, the scale and reach of Indian media still give it a decisive soft-power advantage.
Pakistan’s Focus on Narrative Counters
Pakistan’s media sometimes delivers more restrained and cautious reporting during crises, which earns credibility internationally. However, this strength is overshadowed by Pakistan’s limited global reach and small English-language footprint.
Pakistan’s narratives remain largely confined to Urdu, limiting their impact in influential Western capitals or global digital metrics where English-language dominance matters. Pakistan also lacks a long-term strategy for cultivating English-speaking anchors, international correspondents, or globally recognisable media institutions.
4. Political Environment and Cross-Border Narratives
India: Media and State Narratives Often Align
Indian media frequently mirrors government perspectives, particularly on security, nationalism, and foreign policy. This alignment — intentional or structural — helps India maintain a unified stance on global diplomatic and regional issues.
The media’s role in driving public sentiment further strengthens the government’s narrative posture on international platforms.
Pakistan: Missed Opportunities in Narrative Building
Pakistan holds potential for creating credible international journalism through objective reporting and digital-first strategies. Yet, chronic issues — political interference, economic instability, and shrinking media freedoms — weaken Pakistan’s ability to build globally trusted media institutions.
Pakistan also historically missed opportunities to place correspondents in India or to establish strong cross-border journalistic relationships, allowing India to dominate narrative production.
5. Cultural Exchange and Audience Dynamics
Despite official bans and political tensions, Indian and Pakistani audiences consume each other’s content informally across borders. Indian dramas remain popular in Pakistan, while Pakistani dramas often gain admiration among Indian audiences.
This indicates that cultural appetite exists for balanced cross-border storytelling — but news media remains locked in competitive nationalistic narratives.
Pakistan has the potential to enhance people-to-people contact through media, but without strong English-language channels and international collaborations, these advantages remain underutilised.
Conclusion: Beyond Market Size — A Structural Divide
At face value, the JournalismPakistan article is correct: India’s larger market, clearer regulatory environment, and strong English-language ecosystem make it a natural choice for international broadcasters.
But the deeper comparison reveals:
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India leads due to scale, strategic communication, regulatory clarity, and extensive cultural soft power — even though its media often faces criticism for sensationalism.
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Pakistan lags due to internal structural issues: regulatory unpredictability, political pressure, safety concerns for journalists, weak English-language penetration, and a lack of internationalised media strategy.
For Pakistan to compete in global media influence, it must:
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protect press freedom
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stabilise media policy
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invest in English-language journalism
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build international media partnerships
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cultivate credibility through responsible reporting
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and develop long-term soft-power strategies
The media battle between India and Pakistan is ultimately a battle of narratives, capacity, and credibility — and until Pakistan invests deeply in all three, foreign broadcasters will continue to see India as the priority destination.
Dr. Mohammad Arif is a Professor of Mass Communication at NUST, Islamabad. He specializes in media studies, international communication, digital journalism, and comparative media systems. With extensive academic and professional experience, Dr. Arif focuses on South Asian media dynamics, media regulation, and the evolving role of English-language news in shaping global narratives.
