FRAMING FEDERALISM: A MEDIA-BASED ANALYSIS OF DAWN NEWSPAPER’S COVERAGE OF CONSTITUTIONAL DESIGN AND PROVINCIAL AUTONOMY IN PAKISTAN

Abstract

This study analyses how Pakistan's leading English-language newspaper, Dawn, framed the themes of federalism, provincial autonomy, and intergovernmental relations from 2009 to 2024. Based on the qualitative content analysis of 312 purposively selected articles, the study employs framing theory to study media narratives around the key constitutional and institutional developments in relation to the 18th Amendment, the National Finance Commission (NFC), Council of Common Interest (CCI), judicial activism under Article 184(3), and demands for autonomy such as the FATA–KP merger and South Punjab debate. Findings indicate that Dawn systematically framed both the possibilities and limitations of decentralization. While many articles supported reforms aimed at enhancing provincial autonomy, they critiqued the underperformance of federal institutions and the centre's tendency toward judicial overreach. Thus, the contributions of the media not only incited criticism but were also driven by the interests of reform, creating a unique space for itself as a face for both the agenda-setter and the watchdog in the newly emerging federal order of Pakistan. This study contributes to media and political communication scholarship by showing how mainstream print media shape elite discourse on federal governance in transitional democracies.