The construction of HIV/AIDS in Indian newspapers: a frame analysis

India has the largest number of people living with HIV/AIDS in Asia and the second largest in the world after South Africa (UNAIDS, 2004). The Indian media play an important role in the social construction of the HIV/AIDS problem nationally. This article uses grounded theory and the concept of media framing to understand the manner in which Indian newspapers make sense of the HIV/ AIDS problem. Specifically, this analysis focuses on the multiple and often times competing frames and resources used by stakeholders with respect the following topical categories (a) severity of HIV/AIDS in India, (b) causes and solutions, and (c) beliefs about who is at risk. The discussion elaborates on the tensions that emerge within the discursive space with respect to the HIV/AIDS frames.