Conflict Construction in the News: A Critical Discourse Study of Pakistan–Afghanistan Border Reporting

• Fozia khan

  Author

This paper is a critical analysis of how the Pakistani media depicts the Pakistan Afghanistan border crisis based on Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA). The study examines the linguistic options, discourse patterns, and ideological trends which influence the popular concept of cross-border conflicts. Results show that Pakistani media tends to develop the conflict on the basis of security threats, sovereignty, and the contribution of Afghan authorities to the intensification of hostilities. By choosing who to interview, reciting official words, and framing words intentionally, news sources often make it appear as though Pakistan is the one that is on the defensive and responsible side, whereas the Afghan party is the one that is aggressive or unstable. Through these kinds of discursive practices, national stories are strengthened as is the justification of what the state is doing and how people view politics in the region. This research claims that media is significant in educating the citizens but their presentation of the conflict can also be a cause of polarization and deterrence of diplomacy. The article focuses on the necessity of balanced reporting and media literacy programs that should be put in place to reverse biased language and lead to informed dialogue.

Keywords: Critical Discourse Analysis, Media Framing, Pakistan–Afghanistan Border Conflict, Pakistani Media, Conflict Reporting, National Narratives, Political Communication, Cross-Border Relations

• pdf