The New York Times Editorials: Perceptions of Pakistan

Abstract

Mainstream US print media, including newspapers like the New York Times, have generally held a negative view of Pakistan, painting a bleak picture of happenings in Pakistan. A study of the New York Times editorials on Pakistan from 2001 to 2013 shows that much of the discourse on Pakistan in the New York Times revolves around the war on terror, which is the primary focus of the newspaper’s editorials. Media framing plays a significant role in shaping opinion and presenting stereotyped images that largely influence the recipients of the print and electronic media alike. Similarly, in the case of Pakistan, certain frames are employed to explain and analyse events and the entire discourse revolves around those reoccurring themes