Dehumanization and Ideological Othering of Maoists in The Kathmandu Post

Abstract

This dissertation is about the representation of the Maoists in The Kathmandu Post during and after People‟s War which is the period of People‟s Movement-II as well. In course of representation, The Kathmandu Post holding the ideology of the then king Gyanendra and bourgeois class people treated Maoists as „other‟ by taking it for granted that Maoists, who „missed the way,‟ are „terrorists‟ and „anti-nationals.‟ The Kathmandu Post not only others the Maoists but also dehumanizes them denying their individual identity. The Kathmandu Post has worked as ideological state apparatus while representing the Maoists. This misrepresentation is due to the difference in ideology which is rooted in its bourgeois economic position. It has treated different political parties from different stand point which is unethical. With the support of wide range of theories concerning representation, ideology, and media ethics, the study proves that professional media houses always do not work as ideological state apparatus as believed by Althuser, rather they work according to their economic position and interest.The Kathmandu Post’ s support to People‟s Movement-II undercuts the Althuserian notion of „ideological state apparatus.‟