Framing Morality: Media, Religion, and Gendered Identities

Abstract

This chapter investigates how contemporary media construct gendered moralities at the intersection of religion, gender, and citizenship in India. Using framing theory as its central analytical lens, it identifies four recurrent moral frames in coverage and commentary on religious–gender issues: a tradition/order frame that privileges obedience, purity, and hierarchical gender roles; an equality/rights frame that foregrounds autonomy, anti-discrimination, and constitutional guarantees; a threat/othering frame that casts religious and gender “others” as dangers to the nation or culture; and a care/vulnerability frame that emphasises protection while often reproducing paternalistic logics. These frames are explored through three interlinked case studies: national and regional media narratives on the Karnataka hijab ban, public and legal debates over same-sex marriage, and the output of young religious influencers on digital platforms. Taken together, the cases show that media do not simply mirror religious norms but actively participate in defining which religiously gendered subjects are seen as respectable, suspect, or in need of rescue. Intersectional factors such as caste, class, communal identity, and generation shape how these frames attach moral value to bodies and voices. At the same time, audience doing sharing, commenting, and remixing online—validate that these frames are bargained rather than submissively taken, creating counter-discourses that perturb assertive narratives. The chapter argues that attention to moral edging is indispensable for understanding how religion contributes to the inclusion or exclusion of various gendered subjects and compels for further research on two-fold religious identities, and longitudinal audience responses to religious–gender media.