EXAMINING THE DISCURSIVE FRAMEWORKS OF TRANSGENDER ISSUES IN PAKISTANI PRINT MEDIA

Abstract

The present study utilizes a critical discourse analytic approach to examine the discursive portrayals of transgender matters in two famous Pakistani newspapers, namely Dawn News and The News. We employ Van Dijk's Macrostructure Model (Van Dijk, 1977) to scrutinize lexical selections and assess the impact of macro rules on news presentation (Van Dijk, 1993). The sample comprises a total of 80 newspaper articles, with 43 items sourced from Dawn News and 37 articles sourced from The News. We published these articles from July 1, 2022, to December 31, 2022. The inclusion of tabular and graphical representations of the findings enhances the qualitative aspect of the study. This study aims to examine the lack of transgender representation in Pakistani print media, particularly in relation to the contentious revisions proposed for the 'Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act 2018'. This study makes a valuable contribution to the enhancement of the representation of transgender individuals within the realm of print media while also providing insights into the impact of media ownership on the substance of news. The findings of the investigation demonstrate a notable prevalence of macro rules within Dawn News, suggesting the interconnection of ideologies in the dissemination of news to a general audience. The research suggests that media ownership has a crucial role in influencing the distribution of information and molding public opinion, resulting in the manipulation of facts and the promotion of particular ideologies (Doyle, 2002).