A CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF HOW PAKISTANI NATIONAL IDENTITY IS REPRESENTED IN ENGLISH NEWSPAPERS AND DIGITAL JOURNALISM

Abstract

This study critically examines how Pakistani national identity is discursively constructed in English-language newspapers and digital journalism. Employing the frameworks of Fairclough’s (1995) three-dimensional model and van Dijk’s (1998) Ideological Square, the research investigates linguistic and ideological strategies that shape representations of the nation in Dawn, The Express Tribune, and The News International from 2020 to 2025. Using a qualitative Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) approach, 80 editorials and online commentaries were analyzed for patterns of lexical choice, transitivity, metaphor, and evaluative stance. Findings reveal four dominant discursive themes: Pakistan as a resilient and moral entity, as a victim of external forces, as a modernizing and reforming state, and as morally superior to its “others.” These representations collectively construct a hybrid national identity  proud and progressive yet burdened by historical victimhood. The study concludes that English journalism in Pakistan functions as an ideological apparatus that legitimizes nationalism, sustains elite narratives, and reproduces moral-political hierarchies through subtle linguistic choices. By highlighting how media discourse contributes to the ongoing negotiation of identity in postcolonial contexts, this research underscores the role of language in mediating national consciousness and ideological continuity.