MEDIA COVERAGE OF A FATAL TRAFFIC INCIDENT INVOLVING AN UNDERAGED DRIVER FROM AN INFLUENTIAL FAMILY IN PAKISTAN: A STUDY OF PRINTABLES, E-NEWS AND SOCIAL MEDIA A CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS
Abstract
Background: Road traffic accidents remain a major public health concern in Pakistan. Media coverage influences public understanding of responsibility, justice, and accountability in such incidents.
Objective: To examine how Pakistani electronic, print, and social media portrayed a fatal traffic incident involving an underage driver from an influential family and to explore how media discourse shaped perceptions of accountability, social inequality, and road safety.
Methods: A qualitative study using Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) was conducted. Content from two television news channels, two national newspapers, and two social media platforms was purposively selected and analyzed using Fairclough's three-dimensional CDA framework. Analysis focused on language use, framing strategies, attribution of blame, and representations of power and accountability.
Results: Television coverage primarily emphasized individual behavior and responsibility, while print media focused on legal proceedings and accountability. Social media discourse expressed strong public outrage and frequently highlighted issues of elite privilege, institutional failure, and unequal access to justice. Across all platforms, the perspectives of victims' families, road safety experts, and child protection advocates were largely absent.
Conclusion: Media representations of the incident reflected distinct discursive practices and power relations. Mainstream media largely framed the event through individual blame, whereas social media challenged dominant narratives by emphasizing systemic inequalities and institutional accountability. More balanced reporting that incorporates broader social and policy contexts may contribute to a deeper public understanding of road safety and justice.
