Exploring Post-9/11 Media Narratives: A Review of Pakistan’s Portrayal in the Context of Terrorism

Abstract

Since the 9/11 tragedy, Pakistan's global image has posed a persistent fragility, particularly in American and European societies, despite substantial contributions to the 'war on terror.' This paper, employing the PRISMA framework and reviewing 39 selected studies, explores how Pakistan has been portrayed in terrorism discourse by local and international media from 2001 to 2018. The Pakistani media tends to portray a favorable image of Pakistan's anti-terrorism efforts. At the same time, the American and Indian elite press leans towards a more critical view, negatively impacting the country's global reputation. In addition to framing analysis, the study examines recent research methodologies, revealing a prevalent use of quantitative content analysis and surveys coupled with framing and agenda-setting theories. This paper not only reviews the media framing of Pakistan but also suggests avenues for future research.