Myths Broken or Sustained: Representation of Women Victims in Pakistani Media

Musarat Yasmin,Ayesha Sohail,Riaz Ahmed Mangrio

doi:10.4236/jss.2015.37033

Musarat Yasmin, Ayesha Sohail + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.4236/jss.2015.37033

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Abstract

Media is a cultural element that not only reflects the dominant attitudes of society but also shapes our approaches. Pakistani media mirrors the cultural influence on thoughts and ideas. This study intends to examine the current portrayal of women in crime reporting in Pakistani English print media. It also uncovers the change in media images, if there is any, over a period of seven years by comparing portrayal of women in 2007 with that in 2014. Data from widely read newspapers (Dawn and The News) for the period of March, 2007 and 2014 were collected and analyzed for linguistic choices using pragmatic approach. English media discourse is analyzed by following Mill’s approach of Feminist Stylistics. Data are quantified to find the frequency of lexical choices being made. Result shows asymmetry in reporting female victims who are still described in terms of their marital status whereas male victims/perpetrators are represented in terms of their profession. Statistics show a slight change in naming victims and reporting their age in news.

Highlights

The press, being a powerful tool of socialization, plays a crucial role in the propagation of information
For the purpose of analysis, daily newspapers were selected as they are a major source of information about social and political activity in Pakistan and are likely to be more news-sensitive than magazines
In this study the researcher used [10] approach to “Feminist Stylistics” to serve the purpose better as it deals with the analysis of linguistic features but with a feminist view and a special focus on the way women are represented in different texts

Summary

Introduction

The press, being a powerful tool of socialization, plays a crucial role in the propagation of information. With this power of access, it can influence people’s perceptions, beliefs and attitudes. A deep insight into the content and language of the media enables us to assess its contribution to gender issues. Gendered messages that are semiotically and linguistically encoded in print media, by virtue of their being naturalized in the mainstream discourse about gender, affect our experience of consuming news and enter-. (2015) Myths Broken or Sustained: Representation of Women Victims in Pakistani Media.

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