Portrayal of PAK-US Relations in Elite Press of Pakistan and USA before and after 2018 General Election in Pakistan

Abstract

The mass media play a pivotal role in portraying the images of various countries. Portrayal of Pak-US relations in the US media has always been a topic of interest for researchers. The proposed study focused on the portrayal of Pak-US relations in elite newspapers of U.S. and Pakistan i.e. The New York Times, The Washington Post, The News International and Dawn two years each before and after the 2018 General election in Pakistan. The objective of the study was to explore the nature of portrayal (favourable, neutral or unfavourable) given to the Pak-US relations by the mentioned print media with reference to Paulus foreign policies, importance and contribution of Pakistan in “war on terror”, Pak-US economic and strategic relations and domestic affairs of Pakistan. This study based on research questions “What was the extent of coverage given to Pak-US relations by elite press of Pakistan and America before and after 2018 general election in Pakistan?.” and Was there any difference in the amount of coverage given to the selected categories between selected press during selected time?" Out of 323 articles in context of Pak-US relations during selected time period, The New York Times published 49 (15.2 %), The News International published 114 (35.3),  The Washington Post 55 (17.2%) and Dawn published 105 (32.5)  articles. It is concluded that the 2018 General elections in Pakistan influenced the Pak-US relations. AFTER THIS EVENT, the US press changed its stance toward the portrayal of the Pak-US relations.