CARICATURES AND RELIGIO-POLITICAL IDEOLOGY IN PAKISTANI PRINT MEDIA DISCOURSES

Abstract

Purpose of the study: The research intends to decode semiotic discourses of Pakistani English newspaper daily DAWN from 1st October 2020 to 30th November 2020 to know how to word- picture conjunction works to mirror social reality about two Pakistani religiopolitical parties leaders (Jamait-e Islami & Jamait-ul –ulma Islam, (henceforth JI and JUI)). It also attempts to know how politics is done in the name of religion.
 
 Methodology: The data for the present study was collected from the Pakistani English newspaper Dawn (daily) and analyzed at linguistic and semiotic levels by employing Hodge & Kress's (1997) research model. Besides, Kruger & Casey's (2000) model was operationalized to analyze focus group discussion data at five levels. It was done to validate researchers' semiotic analysis with general perception.
 Main Finding: The study finds that highlighting the rhetoric of politics is one of the prominent features of print media semiotic discourses. The heads of religiopolitical parties use different visual and verbal practices to disseminate their political ideologies in the name of religion. The use of word-picture conjunction is a more persuasive technique for ideological investment.
 Application of the Study: This study is significant for the researchers interested in media studies to know how ideologically loaded visual and verbal practices employed in print media discourses help disseminate ideology in and behind lessons.
 Novelty/Originality of the study: The study is unique because it has critically decoded written and semiotic discourses of the mentioned Pakistani English newspaper related to the PDM anti-government move. It highlights that visual and verbal practices are more persuasive to propagate desired ideology. To the best of researchers' knowledge, this semiotic data has not been researched through this perspective before.