From Terrorism to Television : Dynamics of Media, State, and Society in Pakistan

This book unpacks the media dynamics within the socio-cultural, political, and economic context of Pakistan. It provides an in-depth, critical, and scholarly discussion of contemporary issues such as media, state, and democracy in Pakistan; freedom of expression in Pakistani journalism; Balochistan as a blind spot in mainstream newspapers; media control by state institutions; women and media discourses; TV talk shows and coverage of Kashmir; feminist narrative and media images of Malala Yousufzai and Mukhtaran Mai; jihad on screen; and Osama bin Laden’s death on screen, to understand the relation between media and terrorism. The book covers diverse media types including TV, radio, newspapers, print media, films, documentary, stage performance, and social media. Detailed, interdisciplinary, analytical, and with original perspectives from journalists as well as academics, this volume will be useful to scholars and researchers of media studies, Pakistan studies, politics and international affairs, military and terrorism studies, journalism and communication studies, and South Asian studies. It will also interest general readers, policy makers, and those interested in global journalism, mass media, and freedom of expression. Cover Half Title Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Table of Contents List of illustrations List of contributors Preface 1. Walking in circles: Democracy, state, and freedom of expression in Pakistan 2. Journalism in the service of Jihad 3. Jihad on screen: The role of jihadi drama and film and their press coverage, 1979–89, in Islamising Pakistan 4. The politics of pity and the individual heroine syndrome: Mukhtaran Mai and Malala Yousafzai of Pakistan 5. TV news as merchant of war hysteria: Framing the Kashmir conflict in India and Pakistan 6. Performing piety and sexuality in Pakistan 7. The cost of doing their job online: Harassment of women journalists 8. Counter-terrorism perspective and the Pakistani TV channels: A case study of Osama bin Laden’s assassination 9. The journey of Pakistan’s Oscar success: A Girl in the River: An insider’s account 10. What freedom?: Reflections of a working journalist 11. Covering the periphery: Balochistan as a blind spot in the mainstream newspapers of Pakistan 12. Interviews with I. A. Rehman, Mehdi Hasan, and Eric Rahim: Freedom of expression and sham democracy Index This book unpacks the media dynamics within the sociocultural, political, and economic context of Pakistan. It provides an in-depth and critical discussion of contemporary issues such as media, state, and democracy in Pakistan; freedom of expression; media control; TV news coverage; and jihad on screen, and the relation between media and terrorism.