Research Article Global Media Journal 2020 Vol.18 No. ISSN 1550-7521 35:214 Framing of Operation Zarb-e-Azb in English Dailies of Pakistan Rubab Musarrat* and Ghulam Shabir Faculty of Media and Communication Studies, University of Central Punjab, Pakistan *Corresponding author: Rubab Musarrat, Faculty of Media and Communication Studies, University of Central Punjab, Pakistan, Tel: +923233300009; E-mail: [email protected] Received date: May 29, 2020; Accepted date: Jul 01, 2020; Published date: Jul 07, 2020 Copyright: © 2020 Musarrat R, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Citation: Musarrat R, Shabir G. Framing of Operation Zarb-e-Azb in English Dailies of Pakistan. Global Media Journal 2020, 18:35. Koh-e-Sufaid (2011), (9) Operation Zarb-e-Azb (2014), and (10) Abstract Operation Rad-ul-Fasad (2017). Of all operations, though, the Zarb-e-Azb (G. S. Afzal, This research explores the coverage of the military personal communication, March 25, 2018) is the most Operation Zarb-e-Azb (OZA) during the period from June successful operation. In this sense, the current study seeks to 2014 to June 2016 by three prominent Pakistani English establish empirical analysis that surpasses traditional methods Dailies; the News, Dawn, and The Nation. A consensus and examines Pakistan's position in international scenario and sampling technique was applied to analyze the framing of security situation in the war on terror in relation to Operation OZA in 807 editorials of three dailies during the selected Zarb-e-Azb. The purpose of the research is to explore the role period. The Chi Square tests observed the significant of Pakistan’s English dailies in war against terrorism with variation in the publication of editorial about OZA in these respect to Operation Zarb-e-Azb. This research also aims to dailies. The research reconnoiters positive attitude of determine how media construct truth in their editorials in foreign countries towards Pakistan during military relation to OZA. Through its media content, newspapers report Operation Zarb-e-Azb and enhancement of security terrorist activities. situation after this operation in the country. The research endorses that local dailies created a positive picture of the Galtung and Fischer [8] claim that the media is on the nation domestically on OZA. bottom line when reporting topics such as conflicts and wars, a path leading directly to war coverage, by overestimating and growing the crisis. Galtung contributes to this argument by Keywords: Newspapers editorial; Framing; Operation suggesting that an alternate highway negates the idea of war Zarb-e-Azb; Security journalism and aims to address the problem of peace by neutralizing and raising the question that leads to peace Introduction journalism. In Pakistan, where Taliban has been provided time and A variety of counter-terrorism operations have been space in not only Pakistani media, but also the world's media launched by Pakistan Army which helped to initiate and outlets, it is important that the media coverage of this war collaborate with the United States in the War on Terror. against terrorism is studied over time, to understand how Though, country recognized the radical Islamist groups in the Pakistani media portrayed this fight against terrorism, against past, it was difficult for Pakistan to differentiate between Taliban and showed Pakistan's armed forces. “good” and “bad” [1]. In Pakistan, extremism has drawn significant local and foreign concerns since the war of terror. The newspaper editorials, columns and opinions are review Subsequently, these concerns are also highlighted by local and in past studies [9-14]. The present research focuses on foreign media. The significant research has been carried out newspaper editorials whose significance is recognized by the primarily on the reasons of militant violence and extremism in fact that they reflect public thought and the point of view [15]. Pakistan [2-6]. Vermeer [16] claims that "a newspaper publication house presents its subscribers with a medium for reading the news of In a report, Nabi [7] given a short overview of all army’s the day that is not treated easily by the task editors" (p. 5). insurgent activities in an attempt to counter terrorist activities in Pakistan. The following is the compilation of: (1) Operation The media has strongly integrated the picture of country Al-Mizan (2002-2006), (2) Operation Rah-e-Haq (2007), (3) into the foreign world, as a country is considered to be the key Operation Sher-e-Dil (2008), (4) Operation Zalzala (2008-2009), entity for analysis by the media, a picture operative in shaping (5) Operation Sirat-e-Mustaqeem (2008), (6) Operation Rah-e- a public understanding [17]. The present research explores the Rast (2009), (7) Operation Rah-e-Nijaat (2009), (8) Operation answers of following research questions; RQ1: in what measure, Operation Zarb-e-Azb (OZA) was reported by This article is available from: globalmediajournal.com 1 Global Media Journal 2020 ISSN 1550-7521 Vol.18 No. 35:214 newspapers (The News, Dawn and The Nation) in Pakistan Group [23]. The author has also claimed that Zarb-e-Azb has from 2014 to2016? RQ2: Through how much of an Operation not achieved its target entirely, according to Syed (2016), the Zarb-e-Azb (OZA) was important to newspapers (The News, military also wants another “Combat Operation”. Dawn, and the Nation) through Pakistan? RQ3: How did the The portrayal of the Pakistan army in Western media was newspapers of this particular Operation Zarb-e-Azb (OZA) in examined by Ali and Wazir [24]. And it has observed that in Pakistan focus on, or diverge civil military relations? both newspapers before and after the launch of Operation While answering the research questions, following Zarb-e-Azb, the image of the Pakistan army has stayed hypotheses are tested to predict empirical grounds under OZA; negative. Zahra [25] also reported that Pakistan's air force was formed in order to support the U.S. combat terrorist violence, H1: Pakistan’s English dailies (i.e. The News, Dawn & The enabling it to escalate aerial strikes at terrorist hideouts. But, Nation) gave significantly positive coverage to the support of Shaukat [26] claims that, in its clear context, Zarb-e-Azb's foreign countries regarding military Operation Zarb-e-Azb achievements are welcomed worldwide. Umbreen [27] (OZA). revealed that terrorist surges in North Waziristan Area H2: The coverage of Pakistan’s English dailies (i.e. The News, occurred following the Rah-e-Nijat operation in South Dawn & The Nation) demonstrated that Operation Zarb-e-Azb Waziristan Region, and the Rah-e-Rast operation by the (OZA) a successful military operation. Pakistani military in Swat Valley in 2009. Militant violence must also be eliminated if Pakistan's army is to agree to carry out a H3: Pakistan’ English dailies (i.e. The News, Dawn & The full-scale operation. And it continued to advance and combat Nation) took a positive stance regarding improved security extremism after one year of Operation Zarb-e-Azb. environment in as the result of military Operation Zarb-e-Azb (OZA). The key aim of the current study is to know more about the role played by media reporting and the effect of Operation Alina [18] said that the Pakistani military and the Zarb-e-Azb (OZA) in Pakistan's major English newspapers government had a good mindset in uniting themselves with during the war against terror. Therefore, this research helps to the military on one side. During Operation Zarb-e-Azb, the explain the facts; did the media play a part in strengthening ISPR ’ s daily Press communiqué (Army source) illustrated the image of Pakistan with the foreign community by reporting cooperation between the government and armed powers. The the OZA? In the sense of the case, what agenda did findings have stated that, assisted by the country and newspapers adopt? Mekasha [28] claims, though, that despite government and by the media in Operation Zarb-e-Azb, is international disputes, domestic media policy still creates a effective in creating popular confidence for the purposes of good picture of the nation domestically. Framing is used operations by stressing the performance of Pakistan's armed technically, as several findings say that “framing” and “mediate forces in terrorist elimination. framing ” are already recognized as filed in mass Waal and Schoenbach [19] consider that print media are communication [29]. better and more credible in increasing public consciousness. This is an appropriate medium of analysis to investigate Aisha [20] has shown that Zarb-e-Azb ’ s performance is whether the Operation Zarb-e-Azb of their editorials portrayed complicated, but it helps combat terrorism. It's shown in a war on terrorism, primarily because theory is, “to pick” some earlier days as a successful military plan to locate secret facets of a perceived fact “to view,” “to portray,” and “to jihadists along with the assault by the insurgents and restore share” it with an audience [30], and how it is interpreted as a stability to the entire country. framing. It is a method that stresses a variety of facets of the The theoretical and methodological effect of antiterrorism modern world and its certain traits of constructing this operations on Pakistan's economic development was Hierarchy of Importance with relation to what is essential and examined by Mubashra (2018). Data was obtained between what is necessary to render outlines [31]. The press reporting 1980 and 2015. Within the analysis the importance of counter- of popular movements diverging from societal standards terrorism performance is measured using the “ negative condemned such movements' leaders and opposed their binomial regression model”.