Examining Transgender Community in Pakistani Media: A Content Analysis of English Newspapers

Aim of the Study: Over the past few years, the Pakistani Supreme Court has taken major action to protect transgender people's rights. In a similar vein, the Court ordered municipal governments to change laws in order to safeguard the rights of the transgender population. However, there are differences in how the law and courts perceive transgender identity, which makes the fight for basic rights more difficult. The purpose of this research is to examine and evaluate how transgender individuals are portrayed in Pakistan's top newspapers, Dawn and Express Tribune. Methodology: To investigate the media's role in promoting social inclusion and bringing attention to the problems encountered by the transgender population, the researchers used quantitative content analysis. The purposive sampling technique was applied to select the newspapers' content, mainly their frequencies, tone, and topics. Findings: Results showed that the transgender community receives inadequate coverage in newspapers, news reports, and other sections. The newspapers examined in this study did not emphasize placing transgender-related stories and items prominently. Besides, the representations of the transgender community in newspaper content, particularly on op-ed pages were significantly underrepresented. Conclusion: Thus, it is concluded that media representations and framing of transgender are critical sources influencing the transgender community’s image in Pakistani society. Their affirming depictions of transgender people have the power to alter attitudes and actions toward this community and speak directly to the process of gender identity formation.