Abstract:
Despite women’s active role in the development of a nation, unfortunately, they are
continuously exploited and objectified by the Pakistani Media. This exclusion from the media
and by the media can lead to their marginalization and apathetic attitudes towards them,
especially during COVID-19. The study aims to examine how much coverage and attention
women get on the front pages of the mainstream English-language Pakistani newspapers. To
analyze the coverage and portrayal of women, descriptive and content analysis of the front
pages was employed where frame analysis was conducted as a part of content analyses. Three
mainstream newspapers were selected i.e., Dawn, Express Tribune, and Daily Times.
Frequencies and percentages of news covered in the form of tables and charts have been used
to summarize all the news reports on the front pages. Positive, negative and neutral frames are
adapted to investigate the women depiction. Microsoft Excel is employed to establish the data
in the form of charts. The findings revealed that the newspapers do not give adequate coverage
to women leading to impaired perceptions by the public. However, a positive portrayal of
women has been found like never before hinting toward a progressive change. The outcome of
this study supports the Agenda Setting Theory in the context of Pakistani Newspapers. By
publishing selective content, print media sets public agenda through routinely priming and
framing of the news. Consequently, this translates into the policy agenda by those in power.
Moreover, the research proposes that print media can play an invaluable role in achieving
gender equality, eliminating discrimination against women and raising awareness regarding
gendered-power structures. In this way, the study help in balancing the gender inequalities and
will aid in highlighting the underrepresentation of women, the need for the fair portrayal of
women, and an unbiased, honest, and fair reporting of women. The study recommends
introducing a set of guidelines alongside a ranking system for newspapers that adhere to moral
and ethical principles of journalism, hence, ensuring the construction of a socially healthy
output in the print media. This study also encourages the incorporation of a solution-based
journalism for gender reporting to ensure the gender-sensitive portrayal and an impactful
representation.
