Framing COVID-19 in Pakistani mainstream media: An analysis of newspaper editorials

This study set out to compare the framing of the COVID-19 pandemic in the editorials of two most popular, mainstream dailies published in Pakistan viz. Dawn, an English newspaper; and Jang, an Urdu newspaper. It carries out a comparative analysis of how a popular mainstream English daily and Urdu daily frame COVID-19 during the months of March and April 2020 when its incidence was on the rise starting from 28 February when its first case was reported in Pakistan. For a theoretical framework, the study took insights from the Framing theory for content analysis. The most salient frames in the data were collected and the similarities and difference in their content were explored. It was found out that the editorials, especially those in Dawn provided useful insights for policy decisions, public and government's guidance by defining problems, making moral judgments, diagnosing causes, and suggesting remedies. Flattening the curve demands citizen participation which can be effective if countries adopt public health policies that are aligned with their "culture and underlying societal values and culture". The present study posits that media framing also helps in understanding local cultures and societal values and can thus inform policies. As the number of cases worldwide are increasing again, such researches have valuable contribution for interventions and policy decisions in local contexts.