washington —
In a testament to the global influence of U.S. politics, this week’s televised debate between former president Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris broke through an intensely busy news cycle in South Asia to garner extensive coverage across most major news outlets.
The pivotal showdown between the two contenders vying to succeed Joe Biden as U.S. president resonated with audiences across the region, overcoming a nine- to 10-hour time difference from Washington and competing with a barrage of pressing domestic headlines:
In India, opposition leader Rahul Gandhi made a high-profile visit to the United States. In Bangladesh, interim leader Muhammad Yunus delivered his second major speech to the nation. And in Pakistan, the National Assembly speaker suspended security officials over the controversial arrest of five lawmakers in the Parliament building.
Yet amid this flurry of regional developments, leading newspapers and TV stations from Karachi to Dhaka provided considerable coverage of the debate, reflecting heightened regional interest in the outcome of the U.S. presidential contest.
"The news cycle in these countries is so fast, and the issues they are dealing with internally are so intense that probably their focus has shifted from what is happening elsewhere," said Awais Saleem, a former Pakistani journalist now a professor at Lamar University in the U.S. state of Texas.
"Nonetheless, [the U.S. election] is still keenly observed and keenly watched because whatever happens in the U.S. invariably has an effect in other parts of the world, and South Asia is no exception,” Saleem said.
Take India, the region's most populous country and largest media market. Major Indian outlets, such as NDTV and CNN's local affiliate, dedicated significant coverage to the debate, even while prioritizing Gandhi's remarks in Washington. Aaj tak, another leading channel, had a correspondent reporting on the debate from the spin room in Philadelphia.
Large-circulation newspapers provided more substantial coverage, even while relying on international wire services for content.
The , India's largest newspaper, featured a video analysis of the debate on its homepage. The Hindu, another major paper, ran multiple articles, including one focusing on Trump's pledge to end the Ukraine war and another on Hollywood's "applause" for Harris.
While much of the coverage was routine, some stood out. In addition to broadcasting the debate live, NDTV produced at least 10 stories and segments dedicated to what it termed a "fiery presidential showdown." These included highlights and key quotes, and major takeaways.
While Indians are as divided over Trump and Harris as Americans, most local outlets widely reported on the American media's verdict that Harris had outperformed Trump.
Ahead of the debate, many Indians were skeptical of Harris, said Ashutosh, a veteran Indian journalist and co-founder of Satya Hindi. To find out how Harris did, Satya Hindi devoted a 30-minute segment featuring a U.S.-based Indian American academic, Ashutosh said.
The verdict: Harris won the debate.
"There now is a feeling that Kamala Harris is not a weak candidate," said Ashutosh, who goes by one name.
India, like other South Asian countries, lacks an American-style tradition of live election debates. The concept intrigues many but faces cultural and political obstacles, experts say.
On Satya Hindi, another guest, journalist Shravan Garg, questioned their feasibility. Would Indian TV channels "dare" to host live debates and would politicians "agree" to participate, he asked.
Atul Singh, founder and editor-in-chief of , an international citizen journalism and civic education platform, said Indian interest in U.S. elections has surged in recent years, spurred by globalization and more recently by the Indian ancestry of Harris and Usha Vance, the wife of Republican vice-presidential nominee J.D. Vance.
But he said the level of interest varies across the country. States with stronger ties to the U.S., such as Gujarat, a source of migration to the U.S., and Maharashtra, a manufacturing hub for exports to the U.S., are gripped by U.S. election fever. In more rural regions such as Bihar, with fewer connections to the U.S., enthusiasm is far more subdued.
"So it depends on which part of the country you're in," Singh said. "I'd say some areas in India simply don't care, and others, the ones that are part of the global economy, are absolutely obsessed."
In neighboring Pakistan and Bangladesh, the debate received far less coverage despite comparable public interest.