The Role of U.S. Media in Shaping Foreign Policy towards Pakistan A Case Study of New York Times and Washington Post (2001-2008)

Abstract

The U.S.-led Global War on Terror (GWOT) has had profound implications for Pakistan as its front-line state. The alliance between the U.S. and Pakistan brought changes to socio-economic and diplomatic landscape of Pakistan. Though the U.S.-Pakistan relations underwent a revival phase in post 9/11 scenario, this coalition did not help to dispel negative perception of Pakistan in the U.S. media. Pakistan has been working closely with U.S. on military and intelligence front, but failed to raise its case at diplomatic level and correct its position in the media.

With rapid technological development, the news media is considered critical in promoting national security goals. The sophisticated U.S. media having covered foreign policy issues since Vietnam War is considered critical, particularly in wars and international conflicts to promote sense of U.S. national identity. After 9/11, the U.S. through its media portrayed the same sense of unity among allies in its campaign against terrorism and positioned the country as a moral leader among nations. This study presents the media framing of Pakistan; how it is portrayed in the U.S. mainstream media and examine their stance towards U.S-Pakistan relationship after 9/11 while testing the foreign policy decision-making theory. This is done by examining the two U.S. mainstream newspapers: The New York Times and The Washington Post’s editorials from 2001-2008. The methodology has incorporated traditional quantitative method of content analysis and qualitative investigation to examine how the U.S.-Pakistan relations are projected through the dominant U.S. media frames reflecting the U.S. foreign policy towards Pakistan after 9/11.

The media framing analysis has verified the media’s role within the domestic input category of foreign policy decision making theory which shows that in foreign policy making process, media contributes in shaping a foreign country’s image, thus influencing policy towards that country, while supporting its national security interests. The study also finds an independent role of the U.S. media which does not follow the U.S policy positions except major national interest, contrary to a perceived notion that media is a propaganda tool of U.S. Government. The independent role of the U.S. media is found in criticizing the U.S. Government’s support for General Musharraf’s military rule over civilian government in Pakistan; the U.S. policy in overlooking the restoration of democracy in Pakistan and positive media framing for the U.S.-India strategic partnership over Pakistan during the first eight years of alliance. The study also proposes policy level recommendations for Pakistan to enhance media’s role in national security policy and improved U.S.-Pakistan’s image through joint media ventures between the U.S. and Pakistani media outlets.