JOURNALISTIC NORMS AND THE POLITICS OF DEVELOPMENT REPORTING: ANALYZING CPEC NEWS COVERAGE

Abstract

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has emerged as one of the most significant development initiatives in Pakistan’s recent history, yet its representation in news media remains deeply shaped by journalistic norms, political interests, and competing narratives. This study examines how Pakistani and international news outlets construct CPEC through development reporting practices, with attention to sourcing patterns, news values, and frame selection. Using a mixed-method content analysis of 600 news articles from leading Pakistani and international media published between 2015 and 2023, the study identifies dominant frames including national development, geopolitical competition, economic opportunity, governance challenges, and regional security. Results show that Pakistani media predominantly adopt a development-supportive frame driven by official sources and elite indexing, whereas international agencies employ a more critical lens emphasizing transparency, debt, and regional power dynamics. These differences reflect broader journalistic cultures and political contexts influencing development communication. The study argues that the politics of development journalism, shaped by state influence, editorial priorities, and global strategic interests, play a central role in determining how CPEC is portrayed for domestic and global audiences. Findings contribute to scholarship on development communication, media framing, and the political economy of journalism in South Asia, offering insights into how mega-projects are legitimized, contested, or reframed in news discourse.