Reporting of Taliban Conflict: Do Editorial Choices Matter?
Ruqiya Anwar
International Islamic University, Islamabad
Abstract
This study analyzes the discursive strategies that characterize the reportage of Taliban conflict in Pakistani media, over a period of one year from March 2015 to March 2016. This study combines textual analysis with semi-structured interviews of media editors to identify the key factors that influence conflict Journalism in Pakistan and particularly explores the crucial role played by the editors in the selection of news stories related to Taliban conflict. Using Burkhard Blasi’s model as a theoretical framework, the study found that Pakistani media characterize Taliban conflict in the country, as a high-risk national security threat. Hence, the findings of this study show that conflict reporting in this scenario is influenced by a number of factors and the editors’ perceived threat to the national interest.
