Examining the Portrayal of Imran Khan following the No Confidence Motion in Daily Dawn and Daily Jang Newspapers from Agenda Setting Perspective

Abstract

This paper explores in which ways Imran Khan after no-confidence motion was depicted in two leading English and Urdu newspapers of Pakistan. The sample of the study was comprised of 249 editorials from Dawn newspaper and 99 from Jang newspaper (from April 2022 to April 2023). The findings of the research revealed that Dawn newspaper gives more coverage to the issues of the economy as highlighted by Imran Khan then Jang newspaper. The data demonstrates that the two newspapers' coverage varies significantly. The Daily Dawn publishes a greater number of editorials on numerous political concerns including regime change, economic difficulties, and fair elections. However, Jang newspaper tends to focus more on Imran Khan's perceived flaws and shortcomings. Despite Dawn's perspective, Jang constantly presents Imran Khan negatively, especially after the no-confidence motion. Further findings reveal that the Dawn newspaper gives more prominence to the agenda relating to Imran Khan following the no-confidence vote than the Jang newspapers, which indicates the power of the press in affecting public opinion and setting the agenda for Pakistani political discourse. It is recommended that the quantitative analysis be included in the study to improve its comprehensiveness. Additionally, broadening the research scope to include different media sources other than newspapers, as well as taking into account Pakistan's historical background and political landscape, will provide a more comprehensive view of media portrayal. Furthermore, investigating audience views and potential biases within newspaper editorial boards would help to provide a more comprehensive understanding of media coverage and its impact on public opinion and political debate.