Media Diversity and Representation of Religious Minorities in Pakistan’s Mainstream Media
Keywords:
Media Diversity, Religious Minorities in Pakistan, Mainstream Media & Religious Minorities, Blasphemy, Political System in PakistanAbstract
The quality of media diversity is that it offers equal representation to all social and religious groups and reduces conventionalization and radicalization. In civilized democracies, the governments monitor the performance of media operators, forcing them to maintain the culture of media diversity and programming in the interest of their citizens. Diversity is indispensable for the stability and richness of democracy and the well-being of any society. Failure to maintain media diversity destabilizes democracy, increases social distance, and brings isolation, and disruption in societies. This paper examined the conditions of religious minorities in Pakistan and tried to find whether Pakistan’s mainstream media equally represent religious minorities and portray their issues. The study found that the mainstream media of Pakistan neither represent religious minorities nor portray their issues. Likewise, media diversity does not exist in mainstream media, and ruling elites, parliament, and political parties failed to establish a diversified media culture, especially in the interests of religious minorities.
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